《Signing In: From Lowliest Laborer To Mightiest Master?》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Flame Mountain resided in the Dagan Empire on the Nanli Continent. This mountain was located in the southernmost part of this Continent. Legend had it that this mountain was sealed with heavenly fire, so it was therefore extremely hot. On the mountain, stood the base of one of the Ten Major Sects ¡ª the Skyfire Sect. The Skyfire Sect used to be an extremely glorious force. It had been around for thousands of years and had once produced a Profound Connection-realm expert. In the Skyfire Sect¡¯s Laborer Courtyard, several dozen gray-clothed youths stood in an orderly manner. It was the day of the annual allocation of work in the Laborer Department. Every single youth¡¯s face was flushed red, and sweat continuously flowed down as they endured the surrounding blazing heat. The laborers had already gone through a year of training. Although they still felt uncomfortable, they didn¡¯t directly pass out like the majority of the people did last year. None of them dared to speak, because of the middle-aged man standing in front of them. The man was dressed in yellow robes and had a dignified appearance of over fifty years old. The yellow robe represented his identity, meaning he was a deacon of the Skyfire Sect¡¯s Laborer Department. His surname was Huang, and he was their superior who would be in complete control of their fate. Known as the ¡°labor disciples¡±, these people had been sold to the Skyfire Sect and were considered the private property of the sect. They did not have the slightest authority, and their job allocation would depend completely on the deacon¡¯s mood. The quality of the job allocation would directly affect the future and fate of every labor disciple here. If they were allocated to some unpopular places, they would have hard work ahead of them and never have the chance to make a name for themselves. However, if they were allocated to dangerous places, it would truly be a fatal ending for them. For example, the labor disciples assigned to the Firesmith Hall had to be responsible for the entire sect¡¯s Fire Gathering Spiritual Array. A labor disciple¡¯s cultivation was weak, so it was utterly impossible for them to resist the fire poison that flowed out from the array. They usually didn¡¯t survive its corrosion for more than three years. Therefore, whenever this time came around, the labor disciples made sure to display their ¡°abilities¡±. Those that had gifts gave gifts. Those that could beg begged. There were even some who asked to be adopted as godchildren or sold their bodies to certain inner sect disciples. All to avoid being assigned to those unpopular and dangerous places. ¡°Ye Cheng, Library.¡± ¡°Lin Feng, Alchemy Hall.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Deacon Huang held the register and read out the names one by one before finally reaching Jiang Chen¡¯s name. ¡°Jiang Chen, Firesmith Hall.¡± Immediately, gazes showing pity landed on a fair and delicate young man. This was because he had been assigned to the Firesmith Hall, the most dangerous job in the entire Laborer Courtyard. However, the youngster¡¯s face remained expressionless, as though he had been scared silly. Everyone thought that he couldn¡¯t take the blow, but they didn¡¯t know that this handsome young man already had his soul changed. Jiang Chen was standing at the back. He looked at the youth in gray in front of him blankly. It was taking him a long time to accept the fact that he had transmigrated. I didn¡¯t expect to transmigrate into a young man, let alone a labor disciple! When other people transmigrated and reincarnated, they were either princes or chosen ones. Otherwise, they were at least powerful eunuchs or martial emperors. However, in his case, he had been kidnapped and sold to a cultivation sect. Not only had he become a labor disciple without any human rights, he had also been assigned to the most dangerous Firesmith Hall. The labor disciples assigned to the Firesmith Hall would, at most, live for three years! When he thought of this, Jiang Chen immediately felt uncomfortable. ¡°Alright, the allocation is over. When you get a new position, you must be diligent and do things seriously. Anyone who steals or plays tricks will not be let off easily!¡± Deacon Huang¡¯s tone was indifferent, making people feel a wave of coldness. He swept his gaze around, but no one dared to meet it. Finally, his gaze landed on Jiang Chen who was in the corner. ¡°Those assigned to the Firesmith Hall, stay behind. The rest of you, go and report first.¡± Following his order, the youths in the courtyard all went to their new posts to report. Very quickly, only Jiang Chen was left. The missions in the Firesmith Hall might not be difficult, but the mortality rate was very high. Therefore, they would only send one person each time. They would only send in a new person after the current laborer died. Deacon Huang took out a porcelain bottle from his chest pocket and poured out a fiery-red pill. ¡°Alright, here is a Fire Avoidance Pill. It can protect you from the erosion of fire poison for a month.¡± Jiang Chen revealed a doubtful expression and asked, ¡°Deacon Huang, I remember that the sect gave a bottle of Fire Avoidance Pills to the new Fire Engineering Disciple. Why do I only get one pill?¡± In order to allow Firesmith Hall¡¯s disciples to last longer, the sect would give out an entire bottle of 12 Fire Avoidance Pills, a whole year¡¯s worth. As Firesmith Hall¡¯s disciple, without enough Fire Avoidance Pills, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the fire poison attacked his heart and killed him! Now that Deacon Huang had only given him a single pill, Jiang Chen naturally wanted to pursue the matter. Manager Huang snorted coldly. ¡°One bottle? You think you¡¯re worthy? Take a look at yourself. I¡¯m being kind to even give you one. Hmph, if you dare to say another word, you won¡¯t even get one!¡± Jiang Chen was considered a drudge even amongst the labor disciples. He didn¡¯t know how to pull strings or give money. Most importantly, he had even offended inner sect Senior Sister Chen! Someone had passed the order for Deacon Huang to make Jiang Chen¡¯s life miserable. That was why Deacon Huang dared to confiscate the rest of his Fire Avoidance Pills. ¡°But the rules of the sect¡ª¡± Jiang Chen persisted in arguing, but Deacon Huang waved his sleeves impatiently. A bright yellow flame then shot out and hit Jiang Chen in the chest, sending him flying. ¡°Ptui! Take it or leave it! You offended Senior Sister Chen, and you still want the Fire Avoidance Pills?! Dream on!¡± Deacon Huang did not even look at Jiang Chen ¡ª who was now lying on the ground. He flicked the pill in his hand all the way to Jiang Chen¡¯s body and left without looking back. If not for the fact that Deacon Huang was afraid that Jiang Chen would die too quickly and attract attention, he would not have spared even a single pill for him. ¡°Strength! It¡¯s all because I¡¯m too weak! If I had extraordinary talent and strength, they would never dare to treat me like this!¡± Jiang Chen endured the searing pain coming from his chest, picked up the Fire Avoidance Pill that was covered in dust, and staggered out of the Laborer Courtyard. ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that Jiang Chen? Why is he looking like a stray dog?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. After all, young masters from big families are different from us. Maybe they like to roll around in the dirt?!¡± As soon as he walked out of the courtyard, Jiang Chen heard two ear-piercing voices mocking him. Jiang Chen looked in the direction of the voices and saw two youths leaning against the wall, gloating and ridiculing him from the entrance of the courtyard. They were Zhang Long and Li Yuan. Both of them were quite talented and had managed to have good relations with a senior brother from the outer sect. As a result, they acted like tyrants in the Laborer Courtyard. Jiang Chen had originally come from a large clan and naturally exuded an air of arrogance. He had a few conflicts with these two people, but due to certain reasons, they had not dared to actually mess with Jiang Chen. However, at this moment, Jiang Chen had been assigned to the Firesmith Hall! Jiang Chen no longer had anyone to back him up. Zhang Long shouted, ¡°Stop! Who said you could leave?!¡± Then, the two of them blocked Jiang Chen¡¯s path. Jiang Chen¡¯s expression darkened. He then said in a low voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to enter the Law Enforcement Hall, get out of my way!¡± Disciples of the same sect, even labor disciples, were forbidden from fighting in private. If caught, they would definitely go to the Law Enforcement Hall. No matter who was right or wrong, both sides would be severely punished. Jiang Chen¡¯s expression was solemn, and his tone was firm, as if he was prepared to make a move at any time. No one doubted that he would do this! ¡°Hmph! Let¡¯s go! What a madman! He deserves to be assigned to the Firesmith Hall!¡± Zhang Long and Li Yuan were only trying to humiliate Jiang Chen. They didn¡¯t expect him to be so determined to take on a fight. Jiang Chen was destined to die. Why should they be punished by the Law Enforcement Hall for a person who was destined to die? ¡°Hmph, how are you supposed to bully when you¡¯re so timid?!¡± Jiang Chen sneered and then walked towards Firesmith Hall. The Firesmith Hall was located at the edge of the Myriad Flames Cave. The environment there was horrible, and the scorching heat was even more unbearable. The omnipresent fire poison would also constantly corrode a person¡¯s body. Without the Fire Avoidance Pill, ordinary people simply could not survive there! Jiang Chen soon arrived at the Firesmith Hall and immediately felt the blistering heat. Threads of scorching fire poison continuously attacked his body. After only a while, Jiang Chen felt nauseous. He was about to take out the Fire Avoidance Pill and consume it when a mechanical voice rang in his ears. [Detected that Host¡¯s current location has met the requirements for a sign-in¡­] [System activating¡­] [System successfully activated.] [Does Host wish to continue with the sign-in¡­?] Jiang Chen was stunned. System? Sign in to the system? In his previous life, Jiang Chen was a Supreme VIP of Qidian and had read countless web novels there. How could he possibly not know what a system was? The system was essential for transmigrators to make a comeback, counterattack, and show off. ¡°Sign in here? You can sign in anywhere?¡± Jiang Chen thought to himself that if he could sign in anywhere, he would immediately escape down the mountain. This damned labor disciple could then do whatever he wanted. [You can sign in wherever spiritual essence gathers in the world. The more spiritual essence there is, the better the reward.] [Note: You are only allowed to sign in once a day.] [Note: As long as your spiritual essence is not depleted, you are allowed to sign in multiple times.] [Sidenote: Currently signed in to the bound location ¡ª Flame Mountain. Three hundred years remaining.] Jiang Chen was in a daze as the mechanical voice fell. He was tied to Flame Mountain! Jiang Chen¡¯s expression was a little unsightly. He had originally planned to find an opportunity to escape from the Skyfire Sect, and then simply hide among the famed mountains and great rivers, and sign in there quietly. However, the system was now tied to Flame Mountain! Flame Mountain was huge, and apart from the Skyfire Sect, it was filled with spirit demons and demon beasts everywhere. It was no place for ordinary people! Besides, how could there be more spiritual essence anywhere else in the entire Flame Mountain other than in the Skyfire Sect?! ¡°Alright, it looks like I can¡¯t leave the Skyfire Sect for the time being.¡± ¡°System, sign in here!¡± Jiang Chen took a deep breath and made his decision on the spot. [Ding. The first time you sign in, you will receive a critical reward. You are guaranteed to receive a five-star or higher reward.] [Congratulations, you have signed in successfully at Firesmith Hall and have obtained the seven-star mythical Authentic Solar Fire.] Boom! The moment the system¡¯s voice rang, Jiang Chen felt a majestic and terrifying power erupt from his body like a scorching sun. It happened at the exact moment Jiang Chen obtained the Authentic Solar Fire. Boom!!! At this moment, above the Skyfire Hall of the Skyfire Sect, a huge golden flame that was like a second sun appeared and hung high in the sky. Numerous golden flaming dragons revolved around this fire in the sky as golden runes circulated within it. A Three-Legged Golden Crow full of spiritual energy even began to faintly materialize. Countless fire-attribute spiritual energies scattered down as they emitted golden light. This golden light spread out and illuminated the entire Skyfire Sect in a manner that made it seem like it contained much of the world¡¯s wisdom. Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Could this be the legendary Dao initiation?!¡± ¡°The metal attribute is strong, and so is the blazing yang attribute. The fire attribute is as powerful as the sun in the sky. Could this be¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure of it! This is Authentic Solar Fire, one of the Nine Great Heavenly Flames!¡± Several solemn figures had appeared outside the Skyfire Hall to discuss the phenomenon. The leader of the group was dressed in a luxurious golden robe. He had long reddish-gold hair that fluttered despite the lack of wind. There was a faint purple illusionary flame around him. It was the Skyfire Sect¡¯s sect master, Chi Tianfeng. The others were wearing crimson flame robes; they were the elders of the Skyfire Sect. At this moment, everyone, including Chi Tianfeng, had shocked gazes as they looked at the gigantic golden flaming figure in the sky. Chi Tianfeng was feeling the spiritual energy fluctuations in his body. Under the golden light, his cultivation that had stagnated for many years had finally started to advance. The other elders with weaker cultivations were even more shocked. At this moment, no one spoke. They were all fully absorbing the spiritual essence that was being emitted. A moment later, the golden light slowly dissipated, and the phenomenon formed by the Authentic Solar Fire also gradually disappeared. The sky became clear again, as if it had never changed. ¡°Authentic Solar Fire, I wonder what genius within the sect awakened this type of divine fire. Could it be that he awakened naturally?¡± Sect Master Chi Tianfeng was overwhelmed with emotions. The Skyfire Sect cultivated fire and would only accept disciples with fire-sprit meridians. When one initiated into the Dao, they would head to the Myriad Flames Cave and use spirit energy to attract spirit fire that matched their physique. Then, they would use spirit fire to open up their spirit sea and possess all sorts of mystical abilities. But other than that, there was also another way ¡ª through natural initiation! It occurred when one¡¯s physique was extremely compatible with a certain type of fire, causing the spiritual essence to attach to the flames of heaven and earth. However, most flames awakened in such circumstances only turned out to be ordinary flames. Only one in 10 million could awaken earth-quality flames, let alone heaven-quality ones! In the entire history of the Skyfire Sect, only True Lord Skyfire, its founder, had awakened one of the Nine Great Heavenly Flames ¡ª the South Mingli Fire. It was because of this that the Sect became established and continued to exist for thousands of years. Chi Tianfeng looked at the other elders and said slowly, ¡°Pass down my orders. Find the disciple who has awakened the Authentic Solar Fire and immediately promote him to Chief Disciple. He will be the one to inherit the position of Sect Master in the future.¡± Immediately, an elder stepped forward to stop them. ¡°Sect Master, you can¡¯t! The position of Sect Master is of utmost importance. How can you make such a rash decision?!¡± This was Elder Feng, who was in charge of the Alchemy Hall. His grandson was extremely talented and was already a true disciple of the sect at such a young age. He was ranked third and would have the qualifications to fight for the position of sect leader in the future. Chi Tianfeng sneered. ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re planning. I have decided. He has awakened the Authentic Solar Fire and will definitely be able to reach the Profound Connection realm in the future. If such a genius doesn¡¯t become sect leader, then who has the qualifications to become one?!¡± He naturally knew what these elders were thinking. It was just some dirty internal strife. Another elder stood out to object. ¡°Sect Master, you¡¯re wrong. It¡¯s still too early to decide whether it was a natural awakening or a natural phenomenon.¡± This person had once fought with Chi Tianfeng for the position of sect master. He had always disliked Chi Tianfeng and would object to anything that he insisted on doing. This elder thought to himself, Although I never got to become the Sect Leader, I¡¯ll still go against you and make your life harder than it is. Out of the seven elders, two of them had directly objected. The remaining five remained silent and withheld from commenting, as if the matter had nothing to do with them. Chi Tianfeng flung his sleeves and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡± He was the sect master and also the person with the highest cultivation level in the Skyfire Sect, apart from the Grand Elder. As long as the sect wasn¡¯t in danger, he had the right to make any decision. The matter of the chief disciple and the successor of the sect master did not affect the safety of the sect, so naturally, he had absolute authority. As for the dissatisfaction of the elders in the sect, the problems that might arise were insignificant compared to a disciple who might have naturally awakened Authentic Solar Fire. The Skyfire Sect had already declined and needed a true expert desperately. Only then would it be able to restore the prosperity of the founding ancestor¡¯s time, repair the Nine Dragonfire Gathering Array in the Myriad Flames Cave, suppress more Heaven and Earth Spirit Flames, and reclaim its place as the number one sect in the world. ¡°Alright, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and find this disciple!¡± Under the Sect Master¡¯s orders, the entire Skyfire Sect was instantly sent into a flurry of searching. Unfortunately, they were destined to be disappointed. ¡°Could it be that the heavens want to destroy my Skyfire Sect? That it was just a natural phenomenon?¡± In the end, Chi Tianfeng had become dispirited. Chi Tianfeng had been given hope but then had not been able to find what he was looking for. His hope had been shattered, and as it rose and fell, even with Chi Tianfeng¡¯s temperament, he could not help but feel dejected. At the same time, Jiang Chen, who had caused all of this, had recovered. Perhaps it was due to the system¡¯s direct infusion, but there was nothing strange about his body at all. By the time the phenomenon dissipated, he had completely grasped the Authentic Solar Fire and taken the most important step in the Skyfire Sect method of cultivation. Awakening upon initiating into the Dao! And he initiated into the Dao in one breath! The shorter the time it took for him to initiate into the Dao, the more time he would have to use the power of the spirit fire to open up his spirit sea. Therefore, the duration of awakening was often used to measure a person¡¯s cultivation aptitude. Jiang Chen¡¯s Authentic Solar Fire was instilled by the system, so he had initiated into the Dao over one night. In other words, he had been a useless labor disciple who only had a shallow cultivation base and would have likely never been able to initiate into the Dao. Now that he had initiated into the Dao, he was comparable to a true inner sect disciple of the Skyfire Sect. Jiang Chen felt as if his entire body had been reborn. A warm energy was constantly emitting from his body, making him feel as comfortable as soaking in a hot spring. At the same time, the scorching heat that was constantly present in the surroundings and the fire poison that caused the labor disciples to turn pale ¡ª they now felt like a light breeze brushing his face gently. It was no longer as unbearable as before. ¡°How comfortable!¡± Jiang Chen stretched himself before turning his attention back to the system. ¡°It¡¯s actually one of the Nine Great Heavenly Flames, Authentic Solar Fire!¡± Even though Jiang Chen was only a labor disciple, when he first entered the sect, he had been taught some basic knowledge. He had naturally heard of the Nine Great Heavenly Flames before. After all, they were the most powerful flames in the world. At this time, Jiang Chen was excited, but he did not reveal it on his face. He was a labor disciple who could barely cultivate. If word got out that he had suddenly awakened through a heavenly fire, it wouldn¡¯t be glory waiting for him then. For a time, images kept flashing through Jiang Chen¡¯s mind. He pictured himself getting dissected and studied, having his true fire stolen from him, or even having his soul examined¡­ Therefore, he had to stay hidden. He had to be Voldemort and could not be exposed until he was strong enough. It would be best if he could stay alive until the end and live for 300 years! Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Looks like I can save this Fire Avoidance Pill.¡± Jiang Chen hung on to the pill. He didn¡¯t need it, but he could still sell it to others. After that, he walked towards the Firesmith Hall and soon arrived at the entrance. Inside the Firesmith Hall, a plump young man wearing a green disciple¡¯s uniform received him. ¡°You¡¯re the new labor disciple? Not bad, you don¡¯t seem to have a short life. You should be able to live for a few years, right?¡± His tone was cold, and he did not seem like an easy person to get along with. Jiang Chen replied calmly, ¡°That¡¯s right. My name is Jiang Chen. I¡¯m a new Fire Engineer Disciple.¡± The green-robed disciple stretched out his hand and said matter-of-factly, ¡°Yes, bring it over!¡± Jiang Chen looked confused. ¡°What? Senior Brother, what do you want me to take out?¡± He had just arrived at the Firesmith Hall, and he didn¡¯t know this green-robed senior brother, so how could he know what the other party wanted from him? ¡°Hmph! Senior Brother is not something you can call me, you idle brat.¡± Seeing that Jiang Chen was pretending to be dumb, the green-robed disciple¡¯s expression turned cold. He immediately flicked his sleeves and left. Wherever there were people, there would be some who lived in abject conditions like flies and dogs, and there would be things that were not openly spoken. The Firesmith Hall naturally had a similar custom. All new laborers had to hand over a portion of the Fire Avoidance Pills to the steward disciples. This way, they could be taken care of and avoid conflicts from the start. ¡°Did¡­ did I offend him?¡± Jiang Chen looked at the back view of the green-robed disciple and felt a little baffled. What did he do to offend this somewhat cocky guy? Since he could not figure it out, he stopped thinking about it. In any case, he intended to continue on with a low profile anyway. He probably wouldn¡¯t have any future conflict with this fellow. Today was the first day for reporting in. The Fire Gathering Array had already been fueled, so the rest of the time was Jiang Chen¡¯s free time. He found an unoccupied room in the corner of the Firesmith Hall and cleaned it up before moving in. After everything calmed down, Jiang Chen¡¯s thoughts ran wild. The former owner of Jiang Chen¡¯s body was from a large clan in the flourishing Central Continent. He had lived a life of wealth and joy since he was young, but later on, enemies had come to seek revenge. In order to preserve the family¡¯s lineage, his father had sent him to a village to hide. However, he did not expect that the village would be invaded by a demon and that the entire village would be massacred. He had been stranded outside and was later abducted. The kidnapper sold him directly to Nanli Continent, which was far away from the Central Continent. After a while, he was bought by the Skyfire Sect and became a labor disciple of the sect. As a former young master of a large family, he had some understanding of the situation in this world. This was a cultivation world. There were experts who could capture the moon or a mountain, sever a river, or split the sea. Their Sword Immortal Sword Qi could soar through the air, hacking down stars. There were also fiend demons wreaking havoc in all directions, causing living beings in the world to be plunged into misery and suffering. Humans and fiend demons bordered each other, each occupying their own territory, and had been fighting for tens of thousands of years. Right now, the Skyfire Sect he was in was a cultivation sect in one of the three great nations of the world, the Dagan empire. It ranked last among the Ten Major Sects and was a sect that was beginning to decline. The strongest person in the sect was the Grand Elder who was only at half-step Primordial Core. It could be said that if this Grand Elder died, the Skyfire Sect would definitely fall out of the Ten Major Sects. Other than Dagan, there were also the two powerful countries ¡ª Dali and Daxuan ¡ª and several small countries. In this world, countries fought each other in the dark, and man and fiend never stopped fighting. Only strength reigned supreme. Soon, Jiang Chen¡¯s thoughts turned to the Authentic Solar Fire he had just obtained. Cultivation in this world was divided into the Qi Inspiration, Dao Initiation, Divine Sea, Golden Bridge, Primordial Core, and Profound Connection realms. Each realm was then divided into nine layers. Cultivation in the world was similar to that of the major sects during the Qi Inspiration stage. When one initiated into the Dao, there were differences due to the use of different spiritual objects. The cultivation of the Skyfire Sect relied on the various spirit fires of heaven and earth to initiate into the Dao. They would use a type of flame as a vital spirit fire to open up the spirit sea, and the stronger the spirit fire, the larger the spirit sea that would be opened up. However, success and failure both depended on the spirit fire. The upper limit of the Skyfire Sect¡¯s magical formulation cultivation was also restricted by the quality of the spirit fire that awakened after initiating into the Dao. In other words, if one had awakened a mortal-quality spirit fire, the highest one could cultivate to was the Divine Sea realm. If it was human-quality fire, then there was still some possibility of reaching the Golden Bridge realm. As for the earth-quality fire and heaven-quality fire, they corresponded to the Primordial Core and Profound Connection realms, respectively. However, after the Skyfire Sect encountered that unforeseen event and the Nine Dragonfire Suppression Array in the Myriad Flames Cave was broken, three types of heaven fire, 10 types of earth fire, and a considerable number of human fire were all lost. As a result, the Skyfire Sect had become so weak that it was difficult to recover its former strength. However, this wasn¡¯t something Jiang Chen could resolve. He withdrew his thoughts and focused on his spirit sea. A spiritual light flashed, and a vast and magnificent spirit sea filled with spiritual energy appeared in Jiang Chen¡¯s senses. Ninety-nine feet! With a slight sense, Jiang Chen knew that his spirit sea had already reached an exaggerated 99 feet. One had to know that when ordinary disciples initiated into the Dao and opened up their spirit seas, theirs would usually be slightly over a foot long, and those with outstanding talent would only be around three feet. Even Eldest Senior Brother, who was currently ranked first in the inner sect, was rumored to have awakened the Ghost Bone Spirit Flame, which was ranked 25th among the earth fires when he initiated into the Dao. The spirit sea he awakened was only 12 feet wide. He was already reputed to be the most talented disciple of the Skyfire Sect in the past 300 years. Initiating into the Dao was the process of accumulating spirit qi. The more spirit qi there was, the more it would eventually liquefy into a spirit sea. Once the spirit sea reached 1,000 feet, the spirit sea would liquefy into the Divine Sea realm. At this time, Jiang Chen¡¯s spirit sea was only 99 feet, just one step away from reaching 100 feet, which was the second layer of the spirit sea! However, right now, Jiang Chen could be said to have a cultivation realm but lacked the corresponding cultivation technique. He simply couldn¡¯t display the power he should have. He wondered if he would be able to obtain the cultivation technique the next time he signed in. The next day. It was Jiang Chen¡¯s first day in the Firesmith Hall. ¡°System, sign in here!¡± As soon as he woke up, he signed in. [You have signed in successfully at Firesmith Hall and have obtained the reward ¡°Fire Body Tempering¡±.] [Note: This is a sustainable location. Host can sign in here repeatedly.] The system¡¯s notification sounded. ¡°Fire Body Tempering¡­ Ah¡­ it¡¯s actually this technique!¡± The corners of Jiang Chen¡¯s eyes could not help but twitch. This cultivation technique was extremely famous in the Skyfire Sect because it had been created by a well-off second-generation hedonistic son who could not bear the pain nor the perseverance needed. This cultivation method originated from a certain divine cultivation technique of the Yin Yang Acacia Faction. After being improved by a senior expert of the Skyfire Sect, it could be used to ¡ª via intercourse between men and women ¡ª expel the excess fire poison from a cultivator¡¯s body into a furnace. It was truly benefiting oneself and creating a disadvantage for others! However, it had a great effect on improving the physique of the cultivator and reducing the side effects of absorbing the spirit fire. At this moment, Jiang Chen wasn¡¯t ready yet. All of a sudden, the system channeled all the secrets of the Fire Body Tempering into his brain. With the help of the system, he directly mastered the first level of this cultivation technique. Immediately after, a wave of power surged out from his body. The potent power of the Authentic Solar Fire in his body was triggered by the cultivation technique and began to circulate within Jiang Chen¡¯s body. All of his tendons and bones were cracking under the gentle energy. His tendons and bones became stronger, and his flesh became more translucent and lustrous. The impurities in his body were expelled, and the continuous transformation brought Jiang Chen an unimaginable mental feeling. He could not help but groan. Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Chen shook slightly, and a layer of golden flames appeared out of thin air, instantly burning away the filth on his body. Although he did not have a specific cultivation technique, Jiang Chen could already use the Authentic Solar Fire in his body in a simple way. Using it to burn the filth on the surface of his skin was just a small test. He clenched his fists, and powerful energy flowed through his limbs and bones. The spirit qi in his spirit sea also had a circulation route, and along with the body tempering technique, it continuously washed his body. Jiang Chen exerted a little force, and his entire body emitted a layer of sparkling and translucent five-colored flames, making people unable to help but be dazzled by it. This was precisely the befuddlement effect stemming from Fire Body Tempering. ¡°Right now, the strength of my mortal body is comparable to a Divine Sea-realm expert¡¯s. The weapons of the mortal world won¡¯t be able to even pierce through my skin. In terms of strength alone, I should have the strength of ten bulls!¡± Jiang Chen muttered to himself. In addition to the mainstream cultivation system, there were also body cultivation and body tempering experts, whose strength easily reached hundreds of thousands of kilograms and where adult bulls were used as a standard of measurement. One bull was equivalent to 500 kilograms of strength. Ten bulls were equivalent to 5,000 kilograms of strength. At this moment, Jiang Chen¡¯s strength had skyrocketed, and he really wanted to find something to try it on. However, in his room, there was only a rotten wooden bed and a broken table. Jiang Chen took a look and eventually gave up on trying it out here. If the bed was torn apart, there would be no place to sleep at night. ¡°It¡¯s just that if the first level of Fire Body Tempering already showed such divine power, when the cultivators reached mastery, wouldn¡¯t they be able to fight Golden Bridge-realm experts with just their physical bodies?¡± There were a total of nine levels to Fire Body Tempering. If he could master all of them, he would be ten times stronger than he was now! His physical body was ready and felt indestructible. He could already ignore most magic spells. With his divine power, he could indeed match Golden Bridge-realm experts to a certain extent. Soon, the bell of the Firesmith Hall rang. It was time to start work. When Jiang Chen arrived at the main hall, there were already five laborers lined up neatly. In front of these labor disciples, the green-robed disciple from yesterday was lecturing. He put on a cold grin upon seeing Jiang Chen¡¯s arrival. ¡°Jiang Chen, I¡¯ll leave the five-array formation on the west side of the sect to you. The fire spirit¡¯s eruption stage will be happening soon. You must maintain the array formation well. If there are any mistakes or you can¡¯t complete the mission on time, be careful of your skin!¡± After the green-robed steward disciple finished speaking, he did not give Jiang Chen a chance to speak and hurriedly turned around to leave. At this moment, as the green-robed steward disciple left, the remaining five laborers had expressions of relief on their faces. The laborer responsible for the maintenance of the array formation in the west had died. According to past practices, he should have chosen another one from the five of them. After all, it was not a place that newcomers could handle. The Skyfire Sect had always been on Flame Mountain. Back then, True Lord Skyfire had used his great magic powers to move and break mountains, gathering the Fire Spirit Earth Vein from five directions, and supplemented it with a spiritual array to suppress it. Only then did it become a cultivation holy land. Within the sect, the east direction with the red sun reigned supreme. The south was second, and the north was third. The west was the worst. Therefore, all kinds of important buildings and halls were basically concentrated in the first three directions. The array formations in these places were naturally more complete and powerful. The violent fire spirit energy was suppressed and refined, making the environment more suitable for cultivation. As for the west region of the sect, not only was the grade of the spiritual array there low, it had also suffered serious damage. Those that came later did not have sufficient cultivation to restore the spiritual array to its peak state. The efficiency of the array formation had worsened, and the effect of refining fire-attribute spiritual energy became insufficient. Instead, the power of the fire poison had increased greatly, wreaking havoc in this region. As a result, this place became the worst environment in the entire Skyfire Sect. It would have been fine under normal circumstances, but the fire spirit was approaching its eruption stage, so the West District became even more dangerous. No matter which of the five of them went there, they would most likely die. This newcomer had been directly assigned there. Clearly, he had offended the green-robed steward disciple, which was why the other party had deliberately sought revenge. Instantly, they looked at Jiang Chen as if he was already dead. Jiang Chen ignored them. After receiving a bucket of fire spirit stones of decent quality, he walked towards the five spiritual arrays that he was responsible for. On the day he arrived at the Firesmith Hall, Jiang Chen had somehow offended the green-robed steward disciple and was now assigned to the most dangerous area. However, he was not worried at all about the job that he was about to face. After all, he had initiated into the Dao and had achieved success in tempering his body. Every move he made had the power of 10 bulls. He could be considered an elite disciple in the inner sect. Most importantly, he possessed the Authentic Solar Fire and was constantly nourished by the power of the sun¡¯s flames. Any fire poison that entered his body would immediately be refined. Not only would it not cause him any harm, it would even slowly increase his cultivation. He liked places with more fire poison! ¡°Hai, what a pity!¡± The other laborers watched Jiang Chen leave, and they couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. This new labor disciple had been assigned to the most dangerous place, and he was bound to not live for long! Jiang Chen soon arrived at the location of the first array formation in the West District ¡ª the Inferno Prison array formation. The surrounding heat was stronger, and so was the fire poison! Flames that were visible to the naked eye would flare up from time to time. In this place, whether it was ordinary plants, normal beasts, or humans, they could not survive for long. Jiang Chen followed the map in his memory and arrived at the spirit gathering array of the Inferno Prison. The yellow-clothed middle-aged disciple that guarded the array opened his eyes and glanced at Jiang Chen before he asked, ¡°You¡¯re the new firesmith laborer?¡± At this moment, it was almost the eruption stage of the fire spirit. A labor disciple without any experience would easily encounter an accident. Logically speaking, they shouldn¡¯t have sent an inexperienced novice. However, he did not care about the life and death of a mere labor disciple. As long as he did not delay the exchange of spirit stones for the spirit gathering array, it was fine. ¡°I was just assigned to the Firesmith Hall yesterday,¡± Jiang Chen replied. ¡°Oh! Hurry up and change the spirit stones. ¡± The middle-aged disciple nodded. Because Jiang Chen was a new laborer, he intended to pay more attention to him so as to prevent this labor disciple from making a mistake when changing the spirit stones. Hearing this, Jiang Chen started to change the spirit stones for the Fire Gathering Spiritual Array. Having been initiated into the Dao, he had already developed his divine sense and was extremely sensitive to spirit qi. Without the guidance of the middle-aged disciple, he easily found the used-up spirit stones and replaced them with new ones. The entire process was extremely smooth as if he was an experienced veteran. The middle-aged disciple had originally planned to wait for Jiang Chen to make a mistake and give him some pointers. After all, it was difficult to accurately find the depleted spirit stones that needed to be replaced most of the time. However, when he saw Jiang Chen¡¯s actions, the middle-aged disciple could not help but reveal an astonished expression. ¡°Are you really new here?¡± ¡°I just arrived yesterday. Today is my first time changing spirit stones.¡± At this time, Jiang Chen had already replaced the last spirit stone. He finished his work and stood up. ¡°What a pity!¡± The middle-aged disciple looked at Jiang Chen and sighed. This was his first time working as a handyman for the Firesmith Hall, yet he was able to change the spirit stones in the array formation so quickly. It was clear that he was quite talented in a spiritual sense and had great mental strength. But since he was a labor disciple, then he definitely didn¡¯t have any natural talent in cultivation. Without talent, one would never be able to initiate into the Dao. If one did not initiate into the Dao, one would ultimately be as weak as an ant. It was such a pity to waste such spirit and talent for no reason! Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios With the experience of maintaining the array formation for the first time, Jiang Chen easily changed the next few array formations. This also allowed him to discover many places where he could sign in repeatedly. There were more than ten places he could do so ¡ª the Myriad Flames Cave, the Demon Subduing Prison, the Magma Domain, the Flame Crystal Mine, five more locations with spirit gathering arrays, and so on. If he had not already signed in today, he would have definitely picked one of those places to test out the effects of doing so. When he returned to the Firesmith Hall, the other laborers had not returned yet. He had actually completed the task earlier than them. After a while, voices could be heard from the courtyard. ¡°Brother Wang¡¯s completion time is brought forward again. If you break the record, please treat me to a good meal.¡± ¡°I was just lucky. I was completely lucky!¡± Two men dressed as laborers from the Firesmith Hall walked into the hall with smiles on their faces. ¡°Sigh, if it wasn¡¯t for that newcomer somehow offending the manager, I might have been sent to the west. How would I still be able to do such easy work then?¡± ¡°Right, that fellow is really unlucky. I reckon he¡¯ll only be able to return at night!¡± The two of them continued to converse as they arrived at the center of the Firesmith Great Hall, preparing to look at the new record. Every day, these workers would complete the maintenance task required for the Fire Gathering Spiritual Array, and the Fire Stone Tablet within the Firesmith Great Hall would automatically produce information regarding their work. This information would be recorded and become the basis for their future salary. ¡°Eh? Why is there already a record on it? From the West District? And someone did it in only two hours!¡± The two laborers looked at the stone tablet in shock. The words on the stone tablet were clearly written: Jiang Chen, West District, two hours and fifteen minutes. ¡°Could it be that the Fire Stone Tablet is broken?¡± ¡°Impossible! After being here for so many years, when have you ever heard of the Fire Stone Tablet being broken?!¡± ¡°But even if we personally did the job in West District, we wouldn¡¯t have completed the mission so quickly! Not to mention that newcomer, Jiang Chen! ¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s really broken!¡± In the end, even Brother Wang himself suspected that the Flame Stone Tablet was really broken. At this time, Jiang Chen happened to come out from the Firesmith Hall. The two laborers in the great hall naturally saw Jiang Chen as well, and their faces instantly revealed expressions of shock as if they¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°W¡ªwhen did you come back? You¡¯ve done all the array formations in the West District?¡± Brother Wang¡¯s shock had yet to subside as he asked with a trembling voice. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m done. Why else would I be back?¡± Jiang Chen looked strangely at the two shocked laborers and shook his head. What was the matter with their mentality? He ignored them and left. ¡°This, this, this is actually real!¡± Since he was already back, it naturally meant the Fire Stone Tablet wasn¡¯t damaged. As the days went by, things gradually calmed down. Except for the initial uproar, the others also slowly stopped paying attention to Jiang Chen. After all, no matter how well Jiang Chen performed, he was just like them, a labor disciple who wouldn¡¯t live for long. The sun rose again, and a new day arrived. This time, Jiang Chen didn¡¯t sign in immediately. He was prepared to sign in at the West District to see what he could get. Jiang Chen quickly completed his daily maintenance work for the spiritual array. Then, he went to a place where flames were abundant ¡ª outside the Magma Domain. This was a place where the Skyfire Sect cultivated fire spirits. It burned with the never-ending Earth¡¯s Heart Flame. The might of this flame wasn¡¯t small, and it was even ranked 35th among the earth-quality fires. However, the fire poison within it was too formidable, and ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare to use this type of spirit flame to initiate into the Dao. As the environment was dangerous, other than disciples who came to capture a part of the fire spirit for alchemy or artifact refinement, ordinary Skyfire Sect disciples seldom came here. Jiang Chen stood outside the Magma Domain. His gaze wasn¡¯t affected by the thick smoke and flames, and he easily passed through them. He could see that within the Magma Domain, within the endless flames and thick smoke, living creatures that were aflame could be seen tumbling and chasing each other. Yesterday, he had only taken a look from afar while maintaining the spiritual array, but now that he had come closer, he realized that it was indeed extraordinary. Jiang Chen thought for a moment and decisively stepped inside. ¡°The spiritual energy in my body has actually increased by ten times. To me, this really is a holy land for cultivation!¡± Within the Magma Domain, Jiang Chen couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself as he felt the growth of the spiritual energy within his body. Cultivating here for a day was equivalent to consuming a low-quality Fire Spirit Pill. Jiang Chen looked at the flames and thick smoke in front of him and said, ¡°Sign in here!¡± [Congratulations to Host for signing in successfully and obtaining ¡°Blazing Fire Saber Art¡±.] ¡°Blazing Fire Saber Art?¡± Jiang Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The Blazing Fire Saber Art was a high quality yellow-grade cultivation technique. It was divided into six levels, and every level that was mastered could trigger a long fire saber that was three meters long and that could easily melt gold and break jade. After cultivating to the sixth level, he could simultaneously wield six long fire sabers and still have all his arms and legs free. With a single move, the flames that filled the sky could even trigger the Heavenly Flame Network, trapping and killing enemies easily. From a certain perspective, this yellow-grade cultivation technique, when cultivated to an extremely deep level, could then be compared to a profound-grade cultivation technique. However, there was also a huge flaw in this technique, which was that it consumed a lot of fire spiritual energy. If an ordinary disciple that had initiated into the Dao were to use it at full force, they would only need three to five strikes to exhaust their spirit qi. However, Jiang Chen¡¯s spirit sea had already reached 99 feet when it was first formed. After consuming the medicinal pills that he had obtained from signing in the few days that came after, the width of his spirit sea had an increase of almost thirty feet to 126 feet. Coupled with the constant replenishment of the Authentic Solar Fire, what he lacked the least was spirit qi. At this moment, the system¡¯s infusion had ended. Jiang Chen immediately mastered the first level of the Blazing Fire Saber Art, allowing him to control a long fire saber! His originally stagnant cultivation realm rose once again. His spirit sea expanded, and a huge suction force started on his body. Whether it was the power of the Fire Spirits or the fire poison, all of them were crazily attracted to his spirit sea, causing a violent spiritual-energy tide in the middle of the Magma Domain. But very quickly, the spiritual-energy tide stopped. His spirit sea stopped expanding and finally stabilized to a width of 179 feet. ¡°Not bad.¡± Jiang Chen was delighted. In the end, the cultivation technique had given better results. In one go, his spirit sea had increased by a total of 53 feet. ¡°I¡¯ll walk further in and find a better place. I¡¯ll cultivate here from now on!¡± Jiang Chen intended to find a good place. After finishing his work, he planned to go there every day to cultivate. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, a month went by. In a cave deep within the Magma Domain. Jiang Chen sat down cross-legged and kept on using his cultivation circulation technique. Fire spiritual force gathered into a whirlpool and entered his body. As the spiritual force accumulated, a layer of golden-red flames ignited on his body, making him appear holy and dignified. The spirit sea in his body continued to expand as the fire spiritual force poured into it. For the past half a month, Jiang Chen had been minding his own business and doing his job properly. He did not meet with his superior, nor did he interact with other people in the Firesmith Hall. He was like a nobody there and did not cause any ruckus. Every day, other than completing the mission for the day, he would sign in and cultivate. Currently, he had two cultivation techniques on him. One of them was Fire Body Tempering, which had reached the fourth level. The Blazing Fire Saber Art had also reached the sixth level of mastery. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the power of the Authentic Solar Fire. Any fire-attribute cultivation technique could be cultivated extremely quickly in his hands. He was over a hundred times more powerful than the other disciples. As a result, his strength was rapidly increasing. His spirit sea had already expanded to 480 feet. According to his estimations, he would reach 500 feet today and advance to the sixth level of the Dao Initiation realm. The cultivation speed of the inner court¡¯s Lu Qingtian was already the fastest in the sect in the past 300 years. This Elder Senior Brother had reached the ninth level of the Dao Initiation realm when he was 20 years old and now had the possibility of advancing to the Divine Sea realm at any time. However, it had taken him a full three years to reach that step. Moreover, he had used countless resources to get there. On the other hand, it had only been slightly more than a month between the time when Jiang Chen first stepped onto the path of cultivation and the moment where he advanced to the sixth level of the Dao-realm. If word of this got out, it would probably scare a large group of people to death. Of course, in order to not expose his secret, Jiang Chen had always used the Authentic Solar Fire to conceal his cultivation. If he didn¡¯t intentionally expose it, no one would be able to discover it at all. In a small mountain peak in the depths of the Magma Domain, which was filled with thick smoke and flames, a panicking voice could be heard. ¡°Damn it, why did the flames suddenly soar?! Isn¡¯t there still some time before the fire spiritual energy¡¯s eruption?!¡± Dozens of fire spirits emitting astonishing heat were surrounding a young girl who was wearing a light blue robe and holding a fan. The girl looked about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her originally beautiful face was stained with a few patches of grayish-black color, and a trace of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. The clothes on her body were also burned through by the flames, revealing large areas of white tender skin. The young girl could not stop herself from gasping for breath. The robe in front of her chest rose and fell along with her breathing. It was obvious that she had already fought with these fire spirits several times and had almost exhausted her spiritual energy. This woman was the recently famous genius alchemy disciple, Xu Xin. A few days ago, when her cultivation had broken through to the ninth level of the Qi Inspiration realm, she had awakened the Yi Wood Spirit Fire, which was ranked 33rd among the earth-quality fires. Her spirit sea even opened to nine feet three inches, and she officially initiated into the Dao, becoming a once-in-a-century genius disciple of the Alchemy Hall. This time, she had entered the Magma Domain to subdue a fire spirit beast and use it to refine pills and control fire. She had already initiated into the Dao and had the magic tool, her Flaming Fan, which was bestowed by her master to protect her. Her strength could already be ranked in the top 10 among the inner sect disciples. She was proud and arrogant, so she naturally didn¡¯t think much of the fire spirit beasts at the periphery of the Magma Domain. She didn¡¯t even listen to the yellow-robed deacon that was watching over the spirit array and entered the depths of the Magma Domain, hoping to find an even stronger fire spirit beast. Xu Xin already had a target and was about to capture and subdue the fire spirit beast when, all of a sudden, the surrounding fire spiritual energy erupted. The fire spirit beast that was about to be subdued instantly became enraged! The battle had then agitated more and more fire spirit beasts. As a result, Xu Xin naturally became surrounded and attacked by the angered fire spirit beasts. After several battles and the killing of multiple fire spirit beasts, she was eventually forced to the foot of a small mountain. The flames and poisonous smoke here were even more intense. They actually went deeper into the Magma Domain. What was worse was that the spiritual energy in her body was almost exhausted. She could no longer control the Flaming Fan in her hand and was about to end up in a desperate situation! ¡°Could it be that I, Xu Xin, a genius disciple of the Alchemy Hall and destined to become a spirit pill master in the future, will be dying here today?!¡± Xu Xin squeezed out the spiritual energy in her body and prepared for the final gamble. At this moment, she was filled with regret. If she had known that such an accident would happen, she would have listened to the warning and searched for fire spirit beasts in the periphery of the Magma Domain. At this moment, the fire spirit beast that had just been repelled launched another attack at Xu Xin. The fire spirit beast¡¯s attacks were even faster and fiercer, and even worse, more and more fire spirit beasts joined in the attack. One by one, the one-meter-long fire spirit beasts spat out red flames from their mouths. These dozens of flames then converged in the air and underwent some kind of transformation. They gradually fused together, turning into the magical manifestation of the Giant Flaming Beast. It bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it charged towards Xu Xin. ¡°I can¡¯t block this attack. Am I going to die from this?¡± Xu Xin was in a daze. She could only see the Giant Flaming Beast created by the dozens of fire spirit beasts. With its heat and strength, it broke through her protective spiritual qi. Its huge body covered her vision. Xu Xin¡¯s guard was completely broken. The surrounding power of fire, as well as the blazing heat brought about by the flame poison, caused her mind to blur and her eyes to gradually lose focus. At this moment, the middle-aged man in yellow robes who was guarding the spiritual array outside the Magma Domain had also sensed the changes inside it. ¡°What?! It¡¯s actually the magical manifestation of the Giant Flaming Beast cast collaboratively by fire spirit beasts!¡± He was dumbstruck as he looked at the faint figure of the Giant Flaming Beast that appeared from the flames and poisonous smoke. Naturally, he immediately recognized the origin of that huge beast. It was a spell that reached the limit of the Dao Initiation realm, the innate spell of the fire spirit beast, Magical Manifestation of the Giant Flaming Beast! A fire spirit beast was a kind of spirit beast reared by the Skyfire Sect. Normally, the fire spirit beasts were docile, but once they encountered a violent fire spiritual energy, they would lose their minds and become enraged, attacking any human they saw. And when there were more than fifty fire spirit beasts, there was a chance that they could combine forces to unleash the magical manifestation of the Giant Flaming Beast. ¡°Could it be Xu Xin?¡± The yellow-robed man frowned. He stood up and quickly skittered towards the Magma Domain. He naturally knew that Xu Xin had entered the Domain. Moreover, he had been entrusted by Xu Xin¡¯s master, Elder Hao, to look after her. He had thought that the fire spirit eruption stage had yet to arrive. The girl¡¯s cultivation level was not bad, and she had a magic tool to protect her. There should not have been any problems. But now, he was seeing this unforeseen event occurring in the Magma Domain ¡ª the manifestation of the Giant Flaming Beast. This was an attack that was almost at the peak of Dao Initiation. Even Xu Xin, who had a magic tool, could not block it! The yellow-clothed man rapidly skittered, his fire magic power constantly gushing out from his body, pushing away the surrounding flames and poisonous smoke and leaving a long trail in the middle of the Magma Domain. Regardless of whether it was true or not, he still wanted to take a look just in case. If it wasn¡¯t Xu Xin being attacked, it would be fine. But if she was being attacked, he could only hope that it was not too late. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Finally, I have advanced!¡± Jiang Chen sensed the spirit sea in his body. At that moment, his spirit sea had already expanded to 513 feet, and he had successfully advanced to the sixth level of the Dao Initiation realm. At that moment, not mentioning combat strength, just his cultivation was enough to rank in the upper echelons of the Skyfire Sect¡¯s inner sect. Not to mention he was only 16 years old! With such a cultivation base, if news of it were to spread, he might be taken in as a disciple by an elder and be listed as a true disciple by the sect! However¡­ Right now, he was only a labor disciple of the Skyfire Sect! ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s¡­¡± Jiang Chen was just about to leave the Magma Domain when he immediately felt the violent fire spiritual force. He also saw the magical manifestation of the Giant Flaming Beast thousands of meters away. Jiang Chen¡¯s eyesight was extremely good. With the augmentation of the Authentic Solar Fire, it was even enough to penetrate through the flames and thick smoke that were thousands of meters away. He immediately saw more than fifty fire spirit beasts attacking a graceful inner sect female disciple. That female disciple was clearly no match for them. She had already fallen into a desperate situation and seemed like she was about to die. ¡°That woman looks familiar. Could it be her?!¡± A figure suddenly appeared in Jiang Chen¡¯s mind. He remembered that there was that time when he was cleaning the inner sect¡¯s Alchemy Hall, and he had accidentally broken a lampstand in the courtyard. Just as he was about to be punished, a female disciple in the Alchemy Hall spoke up for him and spared him from punishment. He only remembered that the female disciple¡¯s surname was Xu. Looking at her figure, she seemed like the girl from before. However, time was of the essence, and Jiang Chen could no longer make a detailed comparison. There was no time to think. The power in Jiang Chen¡¯s body erupted. The Authentic Solar Fire suddenly emitted a blazing light, causing his spirit sea to boil and spiritual energy to rise. With a swoosh, a layer of golden flames ignited on his body. After that, he flew out and covered the distance of several hundred meters in the span of a few breaths, arriving directly in front of Xu Xin. ¡°Ha! Evil creature, how dare you?! ¡°Airborne Sea of Fire Sabers!¡± Jiang Chen immediately executed the Blazing Fire Saber Art, which was already at the sixth level of mastery. He extended his hand and created a saber. All of a sudden, the formless golden flames transformed into a long fire saber. As soon as this long fire saber was formed, it split into six identical golden long fire sabers. Immediately afterward, these six fire sabers flew out of his hands. The long sabers crisscrossed in the air, forming a torrent of blazing flames. The scorching power of the flames carried the power of the Golden Sun Flames that could incinerate all things, interweaving into an Airborne Sea of Fire Sabers. He slashed at the Giant Flaming Beast. Boom! In terms of power alone, the Blazing Fire Saber Art he had mastered was already comparable to a profound-level cultivation technique. It was enough to unleash the attack power of a Divine Sea-realm expert. At this moment, with the augmentation of the Authentic Solar Fire, its power was at an even higher level. The Airborne Sea of Fire Sabers met the Giant Flaming Beast and effortlessly cut into its body from six directions. The Authentic Solar Fire, which could burn anything, instantly ignited the beast. In just a moment, it was burnt into nothingness! Roar! Roar! The fire spirit beasts glared angrily at this person who had suddenly appeared and ruined their plans. However, their instincts told them that they were in grave danger. This human who was emitting golden flames was very dangerous! However, they had already lost their minds due to the power of the fire poison and did not know they should flee. Instead, they howled and pounced towards Jiang Chen. ¡°They didn¡¯t get scared off? They must have been deprived of their judgement by the fire poison!¡± Jiang Chen looked at the dozens of spirit beasts that were more than a meter long. They were covered in fiery red fur, with their fangs bared, and had four hooves that were burning. He could already see that the eyes of these fire spirit beasts were completely red, and only madness remained. Clearly, they had been blinded by the fire poison. ¡°Then die!¡± A long fire saber appeared in Jiang Chen¡¯s hand once again, and it weaved into another Airborne Sea of Fire Sabers that instantly enveloped an area of a few dozen meters in front of him. Under the bombardment of the long fire sabers, nearly half of the fire spirit beasts were immediately cut into pieces. Then, their flesh and blood were completely burned away. As for the other fire spirit beasts, they had already arrived in front of Jiang Chen at this moment. They had leaped up high to attack him. Jiang Chen snorted coldly, and a series of crackling sounds erupted from his body. His body grew stronger, and this strength was truly terrifying. After cultivating the Fire Body Tempering to the fourth level, he had already possessed the strength of 40 bulls. Coupled with the fact that he had advanced to the sixth level of the Dao Initiation realm, the overlapped strength of the two powers was even more terrifying. He immediately punched out like a dragon, and the air exploded like thunder! A few fire spirit beasts that had escaped the net were instantly fiercely struck by the fists that were burning with golden flames. An unimaginable tremendous force surged into the body of the fire spirit beasts. Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of explosions rang out as the remaining fire spirit beasts exploded. Flesh and blood rained down from the sky. Then, golden flames rose and burned the flesh and blood clean. In just 10 breaths, dozens of fire spirit beasts had all been slaughtered by Jiang Chen. At the same time, the nearly unconscious Xu Xin looked at the golden figure in front of her in a daze. ¡°So powerful!¡± In the blink of an eye, the Giant Flaming Beast, which had forced her into a desperate situation, was destroyed, along with the numerous fire spirit beasts. In Xu Xin¡¯s daze, she only felt that this person in front of her was very strong, even stronger than the Senior Brother Fang she had seen before, who was ranked 17th among the inner sect disciples. At this moment, as she felt the warmth that seemed to have come from the sun, Xu Xin felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Then, she quickly fainted and fell forward. ¡°Hmm?¡± Sensing the movement behind him, Jiang Chen quickly turned around and reached out to catch her. ¡°So big! ¡°So round!¡± It was warm and smooth to the touch, and a faint medicinal fragrance entered his nose. Jiang Chen could not help but feel his heart skip a beat. He looked at the woman in his arms. It was indeed the female disciple with the surname Xu who had once helped him. However, why would she appear here and be attacked by the fire spirit beasts? Jiang Chen had just thought of this when he suddenly looked towards the east. He felt a familiar spiritual energy fluctuation rapidly approaching. ¡°It¡¯s that senior guarding the spiritual array. I have to leave immediately. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be discovered.¡± Jiang Chen immediately recognized the person. He had to maintain the Fire Gathering Spiritual Array every day, so he naturally knew the yellow-robed deacon who was guarding it. Since this person had come, this female disciple Xu would be in safe hands. Without thinking, Jiang Chen let go. He didn¡¯t care that Xu Xin had hit the ground and immediately left in another direction. Not long after Jiang Chen left, the yellow-robed warden rushed to the scene anxiously. ¡°It really was Xu Xin who was attacked! But what about the fire spirit beast? ¡°It¡¯s the mark left behind by an expert technique of the Blazing Fire Saber Art ¡ª the Airborne Sea of Fire Sabers. Someone killed those fire spirit beasts! But what is this mighty and lofty power of fire that is being emitted around me?¡± The yellow-robed deacon looked at the unconscious Xu Xin and was naturally certain that she had been attacked. The traces left behind at the scene allowed him to easily determine that someone had used the yellow-grade technique, the Blazing Fire Saber Art. After all, he once wanted to cultivate this technique when he had initiated into the Dao. However, he had still been afraid of the drawbacks of this technique and did not choose it. There were also the sounds of explosions at the end. They seemed to be explosions generated from pure physical strength, but which inner sect disciple would have such strength? Who was it that saved Xu Xin before him? The yellow-robed deacon racked his brains but still could not think of anyone. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Xin was sent back by the yellow-robed deacon while unconscious, which caused an uproar in the Alchemy Hall. Xu Xin was a genius disciple of the Alchemy Hall and also the personal disciple of Elder Hao. She was even a famous beauty, so naturally, the attention she received was extremely high. Fortunately, she was only exhausted and did not suffer any injuries. It didn¡¯t take long before she recovered her consciousness. ¡°In that case, you also don¡¯t know who saved you?¡± a benevolent-looking old man in a red robe asked with a frown. This person was Elder Hao of the Alchemy Hall. He was also one of the only three spirit pill masters in the Skyfire Sect. Although he was not in charge, he had an extremely high reputation in the sect. After all, everyone wanted spirit pills. Hypothetically, even if a person did not need them, he would still have juniors who needed them. ¡°Master, I was unconscious at that time. I didn¡¯t see who it was,¡± Xu Xin said weakly. She did not know why, but she subconsciously hid the fact that she had seen a figure burning with golden flames. Since the other party didn¡¯t show up, it meant that he didn¡¯t want anyone to know his identity. As such, she also didn¡¯t tell anyone. ¡°Okay, rest well. Don¡¯t let your emotions affect your decisions in the future. You might not be so lucky next time.¡± Elder Hao left after consoling her. Elder Hao didn¡¯t ask any more questions. However, he still sent people to search around in private. Naturally, however, there was no result. In the end, he could only leave it at that. Only Xu Xin still thought of that person from time to time. She kept feeling that that figure was somewhat familiar, but she could not recall who it was. In the blink of an eye, a year had passed. It had been almost two years since Jiang Chen had transmigrated here. In these two years, Jiang Chen went to the area he was in charge of every day to sign in. From signing in at the Firesmith Hall, Jiang Chen had received the [Fire Avoidance Pill], [Spirit Regeneration Pill], [Fire Spirit Stone], and other low-quality medicinal spirit stones. From signing in at the Magma Domain, Jiang Chen had obtained some treasures such as the [Fire Spirit Spring], [Fire Spirit Essence], and so on. Outside the Demon Subduing Prison, Jiang Chen obtained the [Prison Refining Palm], [Illusionary Demon Movement Technique], and other demonic dao movement techniques. ¡­ After two years of signing in, Jiang Chen realized that as the number of times he signed in increased, the quality of the items began to decrease to varying degrees, regardless of whether it was cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, or other items. Fortunately, there were many low-quality rewards. For example, there was one time when he had signed in at the Firesmith Hall and obtained a large bottle of Fire Avoidance Pills, with as many as a hundred of them in it. However, this type of medicinal pill was completely useless to him. He could only casually throw it aside in his residence. Jiang Chen also noticed some other patterns. He could repeatedly sign in at the important buildings and locations with array formations, such as the Firesmith Hall, the Magma Domain, the Demon Subduing Prison, the Flame Crystal Mine, and so on. Those unknown paths or small mounds could only be signed in once or twice. After a few times, they would completely turn into places that could not be signed in at all. Jiang Chen guessed that it might have something to do with the spiritual charm of the place. However, after signing in for so long, he still only obtained a few cultivation techniques. Perhaps it was related to the places he signed in at. And after half a year, other than signing in and obtaining a large amount of things, Jiang Chen¡¯s cultivation realm had also increased to the limit of Dao Initiation. The width of his spirit sea had reached 999.99 feet, and he was only a step away from liquefying his spirit qi and entering the Divine Sea realm. Divine Sea! Most of the yellow-robed deacons in the sect were only at this level of cultivation! Even low-ranking Elders from certain Halls were also only at the second layer of the Divine Sea realm. Currently, among the sect¡¯s disciples, besides Lu Qingtian, who was ranked first among the core disciples, no one else had reached the Divine Sea realm. The Divine Sea realm could extend one¡¯s lifespan by 300 years. Even in the entire world, it could be considered as having reached the highest level of attainment, enough to establish an aristocratic family. It was rumored that the patriarch of the original Jiang Chen¡¯s clan, who was rumored to be the strongest there, was only at the Divine Sea realm. As for how many layers of cultivation he had within the Divine Sea realm, Jiang Chen had never known given his status back then. ¡°I wonder how the Jiang Clan is doing now.¡± Jiang Chen thought for a moment but had no intention of visiting his clan. If the Jiang Family encountered a great enemy, even that Divine Sea-realm patriarch would not be their match. He might not be their match even if he had advanced, not to mention that he had yet to advance. Besides, it had already been more than two years. If something really happened, it would be too late for him to return. As Jiang Chen thought about it, his current cultivation had reached the limit of Dao Initiation, but it also meant a bottleneck for him. He did not have the cultivation technique to break through to the next realm! He had awakened the Authentic Solar Fire, which allowed his foundation to surpass that of ordinary practitioners. It also allowed him to break through to a point that was far beyond their capabilities. Ordinary cultivation techniques were no longer enough for him to break through. Now, no matter how he cultivated, his spirit sea could no longer contain the slightest bit of spirit qi. All of the spirit qi was sent back to his body, making his body even stronger. Therefore, he was in a very awkward stage now. Jiang Chen had never expected to encounter such a situation, so he had never left the Firesmith Hall nor the area he was in charge of. ¡°Looks like I have to make a trip to the Scripture Holding Depository.¡± After making up his mind, Jiang Chen decided to head towards this depository located in the eastern part of the sect. The Scripture Holding Depository was not open to the laborers, but Jiang Chen had no intention of ever entering it. After all, he would only need to sign in outside the place. According to the patterns Jiang Chen noticed, there was a high chance of obtaining a cultivation technique by signing in there. Jiang Chen left the Firesmith Hall and headed east to the Scripture Holding Depository, which was not a large hall, but a series of buildings, like a small palace. ¡°Stop. Jiang Chen, take a look at this place. Is this a place for someone like you to enter?¡± As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the depository, Jiang Chen heard a familiar arrogant voice. He looked up. It was indeed Zhang Long, who had been assigned here and was currently doing some sweeping work. Zhang Long looked at Jiang Chen and sneered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to still be alive after half a year. Your body must be really durable!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing a rule in the sect that prohibited a laborer from entering the courtyard of the Scripture Holding Depository.¡± ¡°Good dogs don¡¯t block the way. Move!¡± Jiang Chen ignored him, not placing Zhang Long in his eyes at all. Half a year had passed, but talentless Zhang Long was still at the second level of Qi Inspiration. The difference between the two was like clouds and mud; they were simply too far apart to be compared. ¡°Haha, I will not fall for your trap. With me here today, you can forget about entering even the courtyard of the Scripture Holding Depository.¡± Zhang Long couldn¡¯t help but feel angered by Jiang Chen¡¯s attitude of ignoring him. They were both laborers, so why was it that Jiang Chen always had such a lofty attitude?! However, the rules of the sect made him hold back his intention to start a fight. He would not sacrifice his future for Jiang Chen, who was destined to die. He sneered at Jiang Chen and blocked the way in. ¡°You want to go in, don¡¯t you? But I won¡¯t let you. Hit me if you have the guts to!¡± Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Are you begging me to hit you?¡± Jiang Chen said softly. Then, a faint blue light flashed across his eyes. He looked at Zhang Long and smiled. Wave after wave of invisible energy was transmitted towards Zhang Long, who was completely unaware of it. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know if your brain has been kicked by a donkey. But as a friend, if I don¡¯t satisfy your request, wouldn¡¯t that be rude of me? After all, I¡¯ve never thought that you actually had such special interests.¡± ¡°Hit me if you dare. Otherwise, get lost. As long as I¡¯m here, whether today, tomorrow, or any other time, you definitely won¡¯t be able to enter.¡± Zhang Long had a look that said, ¡°You definitely wouldn¡¯t dare to hit me.¡± He started teasing Jiang Chen arrogantly. ¡°As you wish!¡± As he said the words indifferently, Jiang Chen casually punched out. Bang! Under Zhang Long¡¯s astonished gaze, Jiang Chen¡¯s fist grew larger and larger. Zhang Long didn¡¯t even have time to react before he was punched in the face. The huge force threw Zhang Long to the ground, and he rolled backward until he hit the wall. Zhang Long felt pain all over his body, and his bones felt like they were about to break. However, he was smiling. He was smiling from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Ah, Jiang Chen! How dare you hit me?! You¡¯re finished! The sect has rules against fighting privately. You¡¯ll be whipped a hundred times. Haha, Jiang Chen, you¡¯re finished!¡± In the Skyfire Sect, disciples were forbidden from fighting in private. Those who violated the rules were punished regardless of right or wrong. Zhang Long¡¯s words had provoked Jiang Chen. Zhang Long had originally wanted to ridicule him and get a kick out of it. He hadn¡¯t expected Jiang Chen to really attack him. Although Zhang Long was in pain, he was elated when he thought of Jiang Chen breaking the sect rules and about to be punished. After the punishment, Jiang Chen would either die or be crippled! Jiang Chen sneered and said, ¡°Is that so? Yeah, you¡¯re right. I did hit you. But what¡¯s the use of trash who doesn¡¯t even dare to fight back?¡± Then, without even looking at the paralyzed Zhang Long, he walked past him and headed towards the Scripture Holding Depository¡¯s courtyard. When Zhang Long saw Jiang Chen walk past him, his mind went into overdrive. He didn¡¯t know why, but his body that was in so much pain just now suddenly recovered. Zhang Long¡¯s expression was crazed, and even his eyes had turned red. ¡°Stop! Stop right there!¡± As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the figure in front of him. He succeeded in grabbing the other party¡¯s sleeve. But why did the clothes feel wrong? Why did it feel so delicate? Zhang Long had a bad feeling. He lowered his head and looked at the sleeve in his hand. A bright blue color appeared. Blue! How could it be blue? Only inner sect disciples of the Skyfire Sect could wear blue! ¡°Ah! Pervert!¡± Zhang Long was just about to let go when he felt a strong force coming at him. It was as though he had been hit by a bull head-on and was sent flying. In midair, Zhang Long saw that the person he had just grabbed was actually an inner sect female disciple dressed in blue. That female disciple was currently glaring at him with embarrassment and anger. Bang! Zhang Long landed on the ground and couldn¡¯t help but spit out a mouthful of blood. He did not even feel the pain in his body as his mind kept thinking, how could it be, how could it be wrong? There was chaos behind him. Very quickly, law-enforcement disciples dragged the severely injured Zhang Long away. ¡°Illusionary Demon Eyes, the effects aren¡¯t too bad. Without a cultivation at the Divine Sea realm or higher, it would be impossible to discover any abnormalities on Zhang Long¡¯s body. Even if they do, there¡¯s a high chance that they will only think that Zhang Long was suffering from fire poison.¡± There was no need for Jiang Chen to see what was happening behind him. His divine consciousness could sense everything clearly. Actually, he had used the Illusionary Demon Eyes from the very beginning. This illusion technique he had obtained from the Demon Subduing Prison had caused Zhang Long to fall into the illusion he had created. Jiang Chen didn¡¯t even physically attack Zhang Long. It had just been an illusion. In the end, Jiang Chen even used his illusion technique to guide Zhang Long into mistaking that inner sect female disciple as him. Naturally, it caused that tragedy to occur. A labor disciple actually dared to be rude to an inner sect disciple. He deserved no less than to be beaten to death. Arriving at the courtyard, there were disciples dressed in various colors walking back and forth. As soon as Jiang Chen entered, he used his divine consciousness to scan the mountain he was in. The defense here was greater than he had imagined. However, so long as he didn¡¯t enter the hall, then naturally, no one would pay too much attention to a labor disciple like him. Jiang Chen approached the Dao Comprehension Monument in the middle of the courtyard. He stopped a hundred feet away from it and mingled with a few servants who were sweeping the area. It was not that he did not want to move forward but that the area in front of him was already filled with disciples who were busy with their own Dao comprehension. This black boulder had been erected here by True Lord Skyfire, the first generation ancestor of the Skyfire Sect. It was rumored that one of the Sect¡¯s three major divine-grade cultivation techniques, the Burning Heaven Art, was sealed inside. This technique did not have any words or scriptures and could only be comprehended through the stone monument. Unfortunately, in the past thousands of years, only three generations of ancestors had comprehended the Burning Heaven Art from it. No matter how talented the other disciples were, no one had been able to comprehend it since then. The Dao Comprehension Monument and the Burning Heaven Art gradually became a legend in the sect. Of course, there were always many people in this world who believed that they were geniuses, children of destiny. What if they happened to be the one to be able to comprehend it? That was why there were many people who came here to try their luck every day. Jiang Chen also tried to sense it with his divine consciousness, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t sense anything. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t the fated person. ¡°System, sign in here!¡± [Congratulations to Host for signing in successfully. You have obtained a profound-grade cultivation technique, ¡°Great Sun Technique¡±.] ¡°A profound-grade cultivation technique? The Great Sun Technique?¡± Jiang Chen started thinking. He didn¡¯t end up getting the divine-grade cultivation technique he had wanted the most, the Burning Heaven Art. It was also not the Red Purple Sunset Extreme Technique, nor was it the Multi-directional Golden Flames. Instead, it was merely a profound-grade cultivation technique. Despite Jiang Chen¡¯s initial feelings, he was able to shake off his disappointment quite quickly. He thought that as long as he signed in a few more times in the future, he would definitely obtain a higher-level cultivation technique. If anyone were to find out that Jiang Chen was actually not very fond of this ¡°low-level¡± profound-grade cultivation technique, they would be driven to their graves by anger. In the cultivation world, there were countless people who would fight to the death for even a yellow-grade cultivation technique, not to mention a profound-grade one that could be cultivated to the limits of the Divine Sea realm. If such a thing appeared in the world, it would always cause a storm of blood. Even the Skyfire Sect, one of the Ten Major Sects, only had twenty-some profound-grade cultivation techniques after existing for thousands of years. If an ordinary inner sect disciple wanted to cultivate, he would have to use a large amount of contribution points to exchange for a cultivation technique. Since Jiang Chen had already obtained a cultivation technique, he didn¡¯t intend to stay here any longer. He turned around and left, to return to the cave in the Magma Domain where he was in seclusion to make a breakthrough. In the depths of the Magma Domain, under a small mountain. The moment Jiang Chen entered the cave, he immediately retrieved the Great Sun Technique. After having it instilled by the system, he was able to immediately master the first level of this technique. Furthermore, he also understood all its key points and essence. As long as he had enough time, this cultivation technique would be mastered very quickly! Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Chen had mastered the profound-grade cultivation technique, Great Sun Technique, to the first level. Jiang Chen also finished his comprehension of the Divine Sea realm. At this moment, his path of cultivation no longer had any obstructions! As such, he made up his mind and began cultivating. As the Great Sun Technique circulated, Jiang Chen felt as if his body had turned into a blazing furnace in an instant. Flames rose all over his body, and with a chi sound, a 30-feet-tall bright yellow flame was ignited. Within a radius of ten thousand feet, Jiang Chen¡¯s body sucked in boundless fire spirit qi, as if he was a whale breathing in a massive amount of air. Spirit qi surged into his body as his 1,000-feet-wide spirit sea boiled with surging waves. The golden projection of the Authentic Solar Fire in the sky above the spirit sea also released a stream of golden flames into the sea, dyeing its entirety a golden-red color. It was filled with a vast sense of masculinity. The spirit qi gradually liquefied. Ten feet, one hundred feet, thirty hundred feet¡­ ¡°The replenishment of spirit qi isn¡¯t keeping up with the speed of liquefying!¡± As the liquefying sped up, Jiang Chen felt that the rate of spirit qi replenishment with the surrounding heaven and earth qi could no longer keep up with the speed of refining. ¡°Fortunately, I was prepared.¡± Jiang Chen waved his hand, and six translucent jade bottles appeared before him. Using his spirit qi, the bottle was opened, and a strong medicinal fragrance wafted out. These six bottles of medicinal pills were all high-quality Spirit Accumulation Pills. Each pill contained rich medicinal effects. In the entire Skyfire Sect, only three spirit pill masters could refine high-grade spirit pills. There were 12 medicinal pills in each jade bottle, a total of 72 pills. All of them were accumulated by him over the past six months to be used in achieving his breakthrough today. Jiang Chen immediately took out a jade box. Inside the box was a vermillion-colored fruit that seemed to be burning with flames. It was a profound-grade item, the Vermillion Fruit. This was also the most precious spirit item that Jiang Chen had obtained from signing in over the past half a year. It was a profound-grade treasure, and not only did it contain an abundance of fire spiritual energy, it also possessed the effect of calming the mind. Now that he was about to achieve a breakthrough, he had to take it out just in case. Although Jiang Chen didn¡¯t think he needed this Vermilion Fruit, it was better than nothing. It was always better to be safe than sorry. The next moment¡­ Jiang Chen closed his eyes and inhaled sharply. Among the six jade bottles in front of him, 72 Spirit Accumulation Pills turned into pure spiritual energy and entered his mouth. Instantly, the liquidized spiritual energy inside Jiang Chen¡¯s body, which had almost stagnated, was being replenished by a huge amount of spirit qi. It was constantly rising and circulating, and the aura exuding from his body became increasingly terrifying. Boom! The bright yellow flames on Jiang Chen¡¯s body suddenly grew several times. From afar, he looked like a small sun. The Spirit Accumulation Pill was a high-quality spirit pill. Its medicinal properties were mild and easy to absorb. However, when ordinary people broke through, they would never dare to consume them the way he did. Seventy-two pills at once! No matter how mild the medicinal properties were, once the quantity increased, it would definitely produce a terrifying and violent effect. However, Jiang Chen had already cultivated the Fire Body Tempering to the sixth level. With the enhancement of the Authentic Solar Fire, the toughness of his body was already no different from a true Divine Sea-realm expert. With the replenishment of the vast amount of spirit qi, the speed at which the spirit qi liquefied also increased. Finally, the last bit of spirit qi in his spirit sea turned into liquid. The liquefied spirit qi became thicker, vaster, and deeper. Each drop of spirit liquid seemed to weigh thousands of kilograms. As a result, the aura on Jiang Chen¡¯s body also grew stronger and was as mighty as a roaring sea. The next moment¡­ Jiang Chen opened his eyes, which flickered with golden flames. Then, the flames on his body immediately withdrew, and that heavy mountain-like aura instantly disappeared. He had regained the aura of an ordinary labor disciple. ¡°Is this the Divine Sea realm?!¡± Jiang Chen carefully sensed the changes in his body. After a moment, a smile appeared on his face. At this moment, the liquefied spirit qi in his spirit sea had already transformed into another kind of energy. Its strength was 10 times stronger than before. Magic power. This was a power that only Divine Sea-realm cultivators could grasp. Magic power was vaster, deeper, more powerful, of a higher quality, and more potent than spiritual energy. At this moment, his body was unceasingly flowing, and Jiang Chen could feel that it was incessantly becoming stronger. This was also why no matter how strong a Dao Initiation cultivator was, they were still no match for a Divine Sea one using a finger¡¯s worth of their strength. He could finally be considered an expert in the Skyfire Sect. Even if his cultivation did not improve any further in the future, he would be able to survive for 300 years, barring any illness or disaster. His current strength was good enough for him to become a deacon in the sect. ¡°Not bad, not bad.¡± Jiang Chen was delighted. Once he entered the Divine Sea realm, he was no longer a mortal. With his tyrannical magic power, he would be able to fly through the air. Although the highest he could reach was only about a hundred meters, and the furthest he could reach was several hundred meters. But in the eyes of mortals, such abilities were no different from that of immortals. Jiang Chen waved his hand, and a stream of magic power turned into flames. He used them to clean up all traces of him being in the cave before leaving. However, he did not know that a moment after he left¡­ A figure wrapped in flames arrived in front of the cave. When the flames dissipated, it revealed Deacon Liu, who was guarding the Fire Gathering Spiritual Array outside the Magma Domain. Flames flickered in his eyes as he surveyed his surroundings. However, Deacon Liu found nothing. ¡°This is strange. Why is it that during this period of time, there are always abnormal movements of fire spiritual energy?¡± Deacon Liu¡¯s face was filled with astonishment. However, after investigating, he did not find any clues at all and just treated it as some unknown phenomenon. It had already been two years since Jiang Chen broke through to the Divine Sea realm, and he had been in the Firesmith Hall for nearly four years. After signing in and obtaining another bottle of Spirit Accumulation Pills, he was about to carry out his daily maintenance of the array formation. But before he could walk out of the hall, he was stopped by the green-robed steward. This steward gave an absolute order, ¡°Jiang Chen, Wang Cheng accidentally died yesterday. Before the new firesmith laborer comes, his job will be yours.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jiang Chen had no objections. This way, he could openly enter a larger area, and he would have more places to sign in. With more choices, there would be more opportunities to obtain good items. With that, Jiang Chen picked up another bucket of fire spirit stones, lifted them up with ease, and left the hall. The green-robed steward looked at Jiang Chen¡¯s departing figure with a faint gaze as a thought surfaced in his mind. Hmph, I¡¯m going to find out what secrets you¡¯re hiding. Who knows? It might even help me break through, and I would no longer have to be a useless steward here. Jiang Chen, who he thought would not live more than a year and a half, had actually lived for almost four years unscathed. He had already surpassed the longest record of the laborers in charge of the West District in the history of Firesmith Hall. Moreover, it didn¡¯t look like the fire poison had entered his body at all. Instead, he looked very strong and healthy. There must be some secret on this laborer! This was the secret he wanted to find out! Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After changing the spirit stones of the array formation on the west side, Jiang Chen headed towards the southern part of the sect. The laborer who was in charge of this place had died yesterday from fire poison. Before any new laborers arrived, Jiang Chen would now be responsible for the South District. According to the green-robed steward disciple, Jiang Chen deserved the job since he completed his tasks the fastest in the entire Firesmith Hall. Who else was the steward disciple supposed to give the job to? Arriving at South District, Jiang Chen looked at the familiar buildings and felt somewhat emotional. The Skyfire Sect¡¯s Laborer Courtyard was located in South District, and he had once lived there for more than a year. But after being assigned to the Firesmith Hall, he never came here again. The environment of South District was much better than that of West District. Firstly, the temperature here was much lower, and there were no flames that could erupt at any time, nor was there poisonous smoke everywhere. That was true. If the environment here was the same as the West District, the newly recruited laborers would probably not even last a year. After this trip, Jiang Chen found many places that he could sign in again, especially the Ancient Phoenix Tree, the Forging Hall, the Alchemy Hall, the Ancient Cold Pond, and so on. These places had plenty of spiritual charm. If he signed in here, he should be able to obtain decent rewards. He had thought that in just two or three days, new laborers would be assigned to the area. However, he hadn¡¯t expected that even after a month had passed, no new labor disciples would be assigned over. Jiang Chen was still responsible for the two areas alone. The green-robed steward seemed to have turned a blind eye to this matter, and he didn¡¯t urge the Labor Department to quickly dispatch new people over. However, Jiang Chen did not mind. It was good that no one came. That way, he could enter and exit the South District openly. ¡­ South District, Earth Fire Furnace. In this place, there was naturally an Earth¡¯s Heart Flame that would not cease for years. The temperature was extremely high, and it was a good location for either pill or weapon refinement. Therefore, the Alchemy Hall and Forging Hall were both set up here. One was in the east, and the other was in the west. ¡°I¡¯ve already failed 187 times. I must succeed this time.¡± Beside the Earth¡¯s Heart Flame, Xu Xin was carefully examining the herbs in front of her. She recalled the contents in her mind, carefully comparing the medicinal herbs in her hands, carefully checking if there was anything missing. Very soon, she was ready to give it another try. This time, Xu Xin thought that there shouldn¡¯t be any mistakes and that she would definitely be able to succeed. After getting prepared, Xu Xin held her breath and spiritual energy surged out from her body. Xu Xin cast an Alchemy Art with her hands, but only after casting a Fire Incantation first. With a bang, the Earth¡¯s Heart Flame immediately surged. The black-red flames passed through the Fire Gathering Array and gathered into a dark blue flame. At the side, an adult fire spirit beast that was more than a meter long also spat out a stream of flames and used its natural ability to control the temperature of the flames. Xu Xin had captured this beast from the Magma Domain. She waited until the pill furnace was completely heated up. With a turn of her slender fingers, the lid on the pill furnace automatically opened. The medicinal herbs placed at Xu Xin¡¯s side, under the guidance of her spiritual energy, entered the pill furnace one by one. Xu Xin continued to cast the Alchemy Art. Spiritual energy entered through the furnace and mixed the medicinal ingredients in a particular order. ¡­ Another month passed, but no new laborers came. Naturally, Jiang Chen didn¡¯t know that this was because the steward of the Firesmith Hall, Wang Feng, was deliberately making trouble for him. Jiang Chen arrived at the South District¡¯s Alchemy Hall and quickly replaced the depleted spirit stones in the Fire Gathering Array. As he was leaving, he passed by the Alchemy Hall. ¡°Sign in here.¡± Jiang Chen had never signed in at the Alchemy Hall before. Since he was here today, he might as well sign in once and see what he could get. [Congratulations to Host for signing in successfully at the Alchemy Hall and obtaining a Grandmaster-Grade Pill Refining Technique.] ¡°A grandmaster-grade pill refining technique? What should I do with this?¡± Jiang Chen frowned. He couldn¡¯t even finish all the medicinal pills he had obtained. What was the use of a pill refining technique? Even if it was a grandmaster-grade pill refining technique. However, it was still something from the system. With a thought, Jiang Chen internalized the pill refinement technique. Immediately, a detailed memory appeared in his mind. Even with Jiang Chen¡¯s current cultivation level, he was stunned by this flood of memories. But a moment later, he recovered. ¡°This grandmaster-grade pill refining technique seems to be quite good too!¡± Jiang Chen muttered to himself. Several pill recipes revolved in his mind. The Six Desires Mystery Pill was a pill that gathered six types of desires: greed, anger, ignorance, infatuation, attachment, and hatred. It was refined with the Human¡¯s Heart Flame and possessed the ability to bewitch the soul. After consuming this pill, one would become the puppet of the caster. The Earth Aeon Pill had seven types of earth vein qi as its foundation. It was supplemented with five-element spirit stones and refined with Earth¡¯s Heart Flame. This pill could be used to forge an Earth Aeon body, perfect for cultivating earth-attribute cultivation techniques. There were even Divine Fire Pills, Fire Dragon Body Forging Pills, Nine Revolutions Soul Return Pills, and so on. They were all top-quality medicinal pills. ¡°Eh? This might actually be a good idea!¡± Immediately, Jiang Chen thought of a magic formulation called the External Pill Technique. It condensed nine types of evil wind, five types of fire, and six types of qi. By refining it with heaven-grade true fire, one could refine a Golden Core. This Golden Core was formed from external pills. As long as one refined it, one could reach the sky in a single step and attain the Primordial Core. A Primordial Core expert was already considered the top combat power in the world today. Even among the Ten Major Sects, not every sect had a Primordial Core ancestor overseeing them. ¡°The method is good, but it¡¯s too cumbersome, and the materials are hard to come by.¡± In the end, Jiang Chen couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Even after signing in every day, he only had 20% of the materials he needed. If it were not for the fact that the Demonic Wind, the Five Flames, and Six Qi were extremely hard to collect, he would have definitely refined an external pill and used it to reach the Primordial Core realm. However, he was a man with a cheat code¡­ Bang! Jiang Chen was about to leave when a loud explosion sound came from somewhere not too far away on his left. He turned around and saw a black cloud rising into the sky along with flames. Following which, a wisp of medicinal fragrance drifted over. ¡°Three Firecloud Ganoderma, a stalk of Green Jade Grass, two Purple Lotus Fruits, and the scent of the Earth Dragon Blood¡­ Someone¡¯s refining the Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill.¡± Jiang Chen immediately identified several kinds of medicinal herbs. He could even clearly distinguish the number of herbs used. With the information about the medicinal herbs, he naturally knew what kind of medicinal pill was being refined. The Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill was a middle-quality spirit pill. Its function was to remove impurities from one¡¯s body, purify one¡¯s bloodline, and raise one¡¯s aptitude for fire-attribute cultivation techniques. It was very popular in the Skyfire Sect. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the refining method was too crude. The reason for the failure should be the wrong order of use.¡± Jiang Chen shook his head. With the memories of an alchemist grandmaster, the only thing he lacked compared to a real alchemist grandmaster was the experience. ¡°Why did it fail again? Why is this Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill so difficult to refine? I have clearly followed Master¡¯s process.¡± The pill furnace had just exploded. Luckily, Xu Xin was prepared and had avoided it in advance. Now, as she looked at the fragments and the remnants of the medicinal herbs on the ground, she found it hard to accept. This was already her 188th failure. At this moment, Jiang Chen¡¯s whisper reached her ears. Xu Xin was shocked and realized that there was someone beside her. ¡°What did you just say? What did I do wrong?¡± Xu Xin was completely immersed in the frustration of another failure and didn¡¯t notice Jiang Chen¡¯s attire at all. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Chen looked at the curious Xu Xin and said casually, ¡°You should first place a Purple Cloud Fruit, then place the Firecloud Ganoderma, then the Earth Dragon Blood, and then wait for three breaths¡¯ time to increase the firepower before placing the remaining Purple Cloud Fruits. Only by combining the medicinal properties in this way will you be able to create the optimal effects of the various herbs.¡± In order to refine pills, this beautiful maiden had ended up with a face covered in dirt. Furthermore, her eyes were clearly a bit lost. It was obvious that she had tied herself into knots. Jiang Chen was a kind person who was willing to help others. How could he bear to let this girl with such a well-endowed chest be troubled? After all, looks were everything, and so was having a nice chest. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Xu Xin could not believe that the answer to the question that had been bothering her for so long was so simple. It wasn¡¯t exactly the same as what was written on the recipe, but Xu Xin felt a sense of enlightenment. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that it made sense. She was in awe of the miraculous variations of pill refinement. Thinking of this, she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Xu Xin immediately took out a new pill furnace, prepared a second set of medicinal ingredients, and started to refine. The Earth¡¯s Heart Flame rose, and her fire spirit beast began to control the fire. This time, Xu Xin followed the steps Jiang Chen gave her. Sure enough, everything went smoothly, and it wasn¡¯t long before it was time to condense the pill. She had just cast the Alchemy Art with her hands when she heard that voice again. ¡°Inject thirty percent of your spiritual energy into three areas following the eight trigrams ¡ª Upper Kun, 4th Axial Kan, and the Lower Li.¡± Xu Xin unknowingly followed the instructions of the voice to condense the pill. There wasn¡¯t the slightest bit of unfamiliarity, nor was there any sign of the Manifestation of the Restless Fire Dragon mentioned in the pill recipe. The entire process was surprisingly smooth, and the pill condensation was completed in an instant. She had successfully refined the Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill! ¡°Yay, it¡¯s finally done!¡± Xu Xin excitedly opened the pill furnace and saw the 13 round pills that were glowing with a red light. The medicinal fragrance that went into her nostrils made her mind tremble. She really succeeded in refining it this time! ¡°Thank you. I haven¡¯t asked for your¡­ honored name, Senior.¡± Xu Xin had put away the medicinal pill and finally remembered to thank the person who guided her just now. But when she turned around, she realized that there was no one there at all. The senior who guided her had already left. Xu Xin was a little vexed. She had been too engrossed just now. Not only did she forget to ask for the senior¡¯s name, but now that she thought about it, other than a gray figure, she could not remember the senior¡¯s appearance at all. ¡°What is my disciple worrying about? Do you need me to help you?¡± Right at this moment, Elder Hao arrived. Refining the Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill was the task he had assigned to Xu Xin. Furthermore, it was also a test he gave his disciple. The refinement method of this pill was complicated, and it was extremely easy to fail. There was also quite a high chance of failure when condensing the pill. In his opinion, although Xu Xin¡¯s talent was not bad, she clearly was still unable to refine this kind of spirit pill. She must have failed many times already. At this moment, it was time for this teacher to come out and guide her. ¡°Ah! Master, take a look! This is the pill that I¡¯ve just refined! Take a look and see if it meets the criteria!¡± Xu Xin naturally did not know about Elder Hao¡¯s plans. She hurriedly took out the bottle containing the Fire Dragon Body Forging Pills and handed it over like she was presenting a treasure. ¡°Eh?¡± What? Did he hear wrong? She had succeeded?! Elder Hao was originally calmly stroking his beard, but after hearing Xu Xin¡¯s words, he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes as many thoughts passed through his mind. The refinement difficulty of the Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill was very high. He had never seen or even heard of anyone being able to successfully refine it the first time they came into contact with it. Even when he first refined this type of medicinal pill, it took him a full three months to succeed, failing countless times. In the end, under the guidance of his master, he finally grasped the flame control and was able to refine this type of medicinal pill. However, his disciple, Xu Xin, actually refined this kind of medicinal pill in less than three days. Could it be that her talent was actually so formidable?! Impossible, this was absolutely impossible! Elder Hao¡¯s shock turned into disbelief at first. Perhaps Xu Xin had just coincidentally refined a useless pill without any medicinal effects. Elder Hao had just opened the medicine bottle when he cried out in shock, ¡°No, this taste isn¡¯t right!¡± ¡°What? Master, did I fail in the end?¡± Although Xu Xin felt that she had definitely succeeded just now, she also knew that the Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill was very difficult to refine. It was still understandable that she had failed. After all, this was her first time producing a pill. She did not know what the pill was supposed to actually be like after it was successfully refined. Now that her master had said those words, it proved that she had failed. Perhaps she had hallucinated the gray figure, along with the refining method he had spoken to her. When she thought of this, Xu Xin¡¯s face could not help but darken. However¡­ ¡°Failure? How could this be considered a failure? I have never seen such medicinal pills in my life. Although this medicinal fragrance is lighter than ordinary Fire Dragon Body Forging Pills, the medicinal properties are more than fifty percent higher! ¡°If such a Fire Dragon Body Forging Pill can¡¯t be considered a success, then what other medicinal pill can be?!¡± Elder Hao¡¯s face was filled with excitement. He couldn¡¯t hold back his words as his hands that held the porcelain bottle trembled helplessly. ¡°Did you really refine these? You didn¡¯t buy these from somewhere, did you? You¡¯re not lying to me, are you?¡± Elder Hao asked with a serious expression. He couldn¡¯t help but have these thoughts. Even if Xu Xin had refined a useless pill, he would still have been amazed. Now, not only had she managed to refine them, the quality of the pills was also extraordinary, and she had even tripled the usual amount. Was this really something that Xu Xin, who had just come into contact with this kind of medicinal pill, could refine?! Even he was not certain that he could refine such a medicinal pill in one cauldron. ¡°Master, I really just refined this,¡± Xu Xin said anxiously. Without hesitation, Elder Hao said in a deep voice, ¡°Then refine it again in front of me.¡± Immediately after, Xu Xin started refining according to the previous method. Perhaps it was because of her first experience, but this time, her process was even smoother. In the end, she actually managed to produce one more pill than the first batch. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s actually true! Could there really be someone in this world who was born to be an alchemy genius?!¡± Elder Hao was so dumbfounded that his beard was on the verge of falling off. He looked at the batch of newly refined Fire Dragon Body Forging Pills. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Xu Xin had done it right before his eyes, he would simply not dare to believe that there was actually someone in this world who could grasp this pill recipe in such a short period of time and even refine them in such quality and quantity. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As Xu Xin refined, she recounted her encounter to her master. ¡°No, no! The steps you took just now were wrong! And that pill condensation technique just now was also very wrong.¡± Elder Hao had calmed down with great difficulty. After recovering from his shock, he very quickly began to recall the steps Xu Xin took to refine the pills. He immediately sensed the abnormality within. His disciple, Xu Xin, just now, had taken different steps in refining the medicinal pill from what was written on the pill recipe. Although they were similar in general, one of the steps was slightly different. The order of the two medicines was slightly adjusted. Furthermore, the method to condense the pill in the end was also very unusual. ¡°Master, did I make a mistake?¡± Xu Xin was confused. Master just said that the medicinal pills she refined had sufficient medicinal efficacy and were of excellent quality. She had definitely succeeded. So why did he suddenly say that the steps were wrong? If the steps were wrong, how was she still able to finish refining the pills? Elder Hao ignored Xu Xin. He was deeply immersed in his thoughts. ¡°Ah! I know! So that¡¯s how it is! It¡¯s indeed the thought of a genius. If these two medicinal herbs are placed in this order, they can neutralize the explosiveness of the Earth Dragon Blood and greatly increase the success rate of refinement. ¡°The best part is still the final pill condensation technique. It¡¯s even more sublime. Not only can it reduce the failure rate, but it can also greatly increase the number of pills formed! The person who taught you must be an alchemist greatmaster!¡± At this moment, Elder Hao came to a sudden realization. It was as if he had finally solved a problem that he had been pondering over for many years. He was in high spirits and very pleased with himself. The joy on his face could no longer be concealed. At this moment, Xu Xin looked at her master, who usually did not smile, and was surprised that he actually revealed such an expression. Only then did she finally confirm that the method and technique taught by that person was the real deal! Xu Xin was also very shocked. She didn¡¯t expect her master¡¯s evaluation of that person to be so high! Alchemist greatmaster! This was an existence that was far greater than any spirit-pill master¡­ but there was no such pill master in their Skyfire Sect. However, Elder Hao had clearly underestimated Jiang Chen. If he knew that Jiang Chen was equivalent to an alchemist grandmaster, wouldn¡¯t that scare him to death?! ¡°However, since when did our Skyfire Sect produce an alchemist greatmaster? Could it be a senior who¡¯s hiding his identity?¡± Soon, a puzzled expression appeared on Elder Hao¡¯s face. One person after another flashed through his mind, but he didn¡¯t think it was any of them. As far as he knew, there was not a single alchemy greatmaster in the entire Skyfire Sect. As for alchemist grandmaster, he did not even dare to think about it. Unable to figure it out, Elder Hao finally realized that his disciple, Xu Xin, must have met this senior before. Therefore, he asked Xu Xin, ¡°Oh, right, who taught you this? I must go and meet this senior and personally seek his guidance.¡± He definitely wanted to consult an alchemy greatmaster personally. ¡°Oh, oh¡­ well¡­ Senior, that senior, I didn¡¯t see his face properly either¡ª¡± Hearing Xu Xin¡¯s words, Elder Hao¡¯s face was filled with anger. He could not help but slap his thigh. ¡°Sigh. Why did you let go of such a good opportunity?!¡± His disciple, Xu Xin, actually didn¡¯t get a good look at that senior. She didn¡¯t even know if he was tall or short, fat or thin. It could be said that she didn¡¯t know anything. Since that was the case, there was nothing he could do about it. He could only hope that he would be able to grasp the opportunity the next time the senior appeared. Jiang Chen had returned to the Firesmith Hall, so he naturally didn¡¯t know that Elder Hao of the Alchemy Hall was still thinking about what he had done. But even if he knew, he would not have cared. He was merely giving pointers to Xu Xin, and he only did so casually. Naturally, he had no intention of becoming an alchemist grandmaster. The days were peaceful again. Jiang Chen continued to travel between the various array formations every day and would usually go to the Magma Domain to cultivate. But this time, he changed to another place. This was because ever since he had broken through to the Divine Sea realm last time, he had discovered traces of human activity near the original cave. That place was no longer safe, but the area of the Magma Flame Region was quite large, so he was able to quickly replace it with a new cultivation place. His cultivation had also broken through to the third layer of the Divine Sea realm, and he had already cultivated the Great Sun Technique to the fifth level. At this rate, he would soon reach mastery. Of course, when he was free, he would still go to the Alchemy Hall to give pointers to Xu Xin. This also became his daily pastime. After all, it was easy to get bored being alone all the time. However, every time Jiang Chen would cast an illusion over himself, and not once did he reveal his actual appearance. He also instructed Xu Xin not to leak out the fact that he had visited her. On this day, Jiang Chen replaced the spirit stones in the Fire Gathering Spiritual Array outside the Demon Subduing Prison, which was a prison used by the Skyfire Sect to contain and suppress enemies and fiend demons. It had a powerful barrier and seal, as well as a Golden Bridge-realm elder guarding it. He rarely signed in here because the things he got here were mostly dark, evil techniques or items. Just as he was about to leave, he saw an inner sect disciple in blue and an elder in a red magic robe escorting a man in black towards the Demon Subduing Prison. His spiritual perception was powerful, and he could sense a cold and evil aura from the black-clothed person. ¡°It¡¯s actually demon qi? This person is a demonic dao cultivator! ¡°However, this fellow is clearly not unconscious. Why is he pretending to be unconscious?¡± Jiang Chen had signed in at the Demon Subduing Prison several times and had also obtained demonic dao cultivation techniques, so he was exceptionally sensitive to demon qi. The others certainly didn¡¯t know, but he could immediately sense that although this black-clothed person appeared to be injured and unconscious, he had actually used a demonic technique to restrain his own mental state and fake unconsciousness. However, Jiang Chen didn¡¯t intend to go forward to inform them. As a mere labor disciple, it didn¡¯t make sense for him to be able to tell that this demonic cultivator was pretending to be unconscious. Putting other things aside, could he explain to these people that he had also cultivated a demonic technique and that was why he could tell? Therefore, Jiang Chen made way and stood aside silently. The disciples escorting the demonic cultivator spoke to the guarding elder for a while before escorting the black-clothed man into the Demon Subduing Prison. ¡°A demonic cultivator has infiltrated the Skyfire Sect?¡± In addition to Jiang Chen¡¯s spiritual perception being extremely strong, the people speaking weren¡¯t trying to be discreet either, so Jiang Chen was able to eavesdrop on their conversation. It turned out that this demonic cultivator had infiltrated the Skyfire Sect and triggered the array formation. He was later discovered and then captured. At the same time, Jiang Chen could not help but mutter to himself, ¡°Why did that guy enter the Demon Subduing Prison? It seems like he is plotting something.¡± However, Jiang Chen was only a mere labor disciple. Even if something bad happened, the Skyfire Sect¡¯s sect master and other capable elders could sort it out themselves. It was not his problem. ¡°Demonic cultivators and an infiltration. Perhaps I can take advantage of this.¡± Jiang Chen had suddenly thought of something. He smiled and left the Demon Subduing Prison. On a new day, he finished his work for the day and went to the place where he cultivated in the Magma Domain. ¡°The third layer of the Divine Sea is finally complete.¡± Jiang Chen looked into his spirit sea. The golden-red liquefied spiritual energy had been accumulated to its limit and could undergo the first transformation at any time. After the Three Divine Sea Transformations and once the spiritual qi turned into liquid, one would begin to step out of the Divine Sea realm. When liquefied spiritual energy was converted into magic power, every three layers would cause a transformation. When one reached the ninth layer of the Divine Sea, he would have undergone a total of three transformations, and this process was called the Three Divine Sea Transformations. After every transformation, the quality and strength of the magic power in one¡¯s body would increase. More importantly, it could be augmented with the characteristics of the awakening spirit fire. In the end, it was a further fusion of the spirit liquid, magic power, and spirit fire in one¡¯s body that would result in a miraculous change. At this moment, Jiang Chen¡¯s spirit sea had already reached the limit of the third layer, and he could already begin the first transformation. Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the Inferno Prison, a figure dressed in green robes continuously passed through the flames and thick smoke. This person was the supervisor of the Firesmith Hall, Wang Feng. Initially, he did not take Jiang Chen seriously. After all, he was just a laborer destined to not live long. But as time passed, he gradually realized that something was really off. Therefore, during this period of time, he had been secretly following Jiang Chen. However, he didn¡¯t expect that after following the other party so many times, he actually didn¡¯t find any abnormalities. However, Wang Feng believed that no matter how cunning his ¡°prey¡± was, Jiang Chen could not win against a good hunter like him, and he finally found some clues the day before yesterday. Wang Feng was already certain that Jiang Chen had embarked on the path of cultivation. He also knew that his cultivation was already somewhat strong. It was the only way to explain the things that had happened to this laborer disciple. However, Wang Feng thought that even if he had gotten stronger, Jiang Chen was still an ant when compared to himself. Even if Jiang Chen had a trump card, Wang Feng believed he could still easily suppress him. After all, Wang Feng was at the Divine Sea realm. No matter how powerful Jiang Chen was, his cultivation was at most at the Dao Initiation level. It only took one finger for a Divine Sea cultivator to crush a Dao Initiation cultivator to death. The fact that Jiang Chen had gone from someone who couldn¡¯t cultivate to someone who was now on the path of cultivation was enough to prove that he must be hiding a huge secret! ¡°He¡¯s actually this alert? But dream on, the difference in our cultivation cannot be made up for!¡± From his behavior, Wang Feng could tell that Jiang Chen was on guard against anyone following him. Not only had Jiang Chen deliberately taken a detour, but he had also left behind many misleading traces. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Wang Feng had already left a mark on Jiang Chen¡¯s body, wanting to find a person within the poisonous smoke and raging flames of the Hell of Melting Flame was simply too difficult. The more this was the case, the more he valued Jiang Chen¡¯s secrets. ¡°Hmph, I really want to see what secrets you¡¯re hiding!¡± Wang Feng flung his sleeves, and spiritual energy gushed out to extinguish the flames. Meanwhile, in the depths of the Magma Domain¡­ Jiang Chen finally finished cultivating. He suddenly opened his eyes, and a golden divine light shot out more than a meter. Immediately after, the golden-red flames on his body were retracted. ¡°I had just advanced to the fourth level of the Divine Sea realm, and now I¡¯ve already awakened the Fiery Eyes Divine Ability. Not bad. As expected of the Authentic Solar Fire.¡± This heaven-grade spirit fire was really powerful; not only was it able to awaken a strong cultivation foundation and could be cultivated all the way to the Profound Connection realm, but it also bestowed the cultivator with the power of a divine ability in the process. Jiang Chen got the Fiery Eyes Divine Ability from the Authentic Solar Fire after his first transformation of the Divine Sea realm, along with his advancement to the fourth layer of that realm. Even though it wasn¡¯t a divine ability that could increase one¡¯s combat strength, it still allowed Jiang Chen to look past illusions and to see reality for up to a distance of three thousand meters. It was a pretty good support ability considering that it allowed him to see through the other party¡¯s disguise and whatever was fake. As his strength increased, the power of this divine ability would also continue to increase. ¡°It¡¯s about time. He should have taken the bait by now.¡± Jiang Chen felt the magic power he left behind being triggered. It was clear that someone was coming here. Golden light flickered in his eyes. His gaze pierced through the endless flames and thick poisonous smoke, seeing the green-robed figure that was currently heading over. It was precisely the steward of the Firesmith Hall, Wang Feng! Jiang Chen had already noticed the tracker set on his body by the other party. The reason why he had not gotten rid of it was because he was waiting for this fellow to walk right into his trap. After all, he had to be careful, remembering the saying, when trying to protect oneself from thieves, one is always bound to slip up. Jiang Chen naturally wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to scheme against him in the dark. Since he knew, he naturally had to find an opportunity to eliminate the danger at its source. Especially after what he saw at the Demon Subduing Prison the day before, it made him wary that a demonic cultivator had secretly infiltrated the Skyfire Sect. Instantly, a thought arose in his mind. He wanted to lure Wang Feng over, kill him, and shift the blame to the demonic cultivator. Later on, even if it was investigated, Jiang Chen would have nothing to be afraid of. After all, no one would suspect a mere labor disciple like him. After calculating the time the other party would arrive, he then cast a wisp of Authentic Solar Fire. The golden source of the Fire emitted a pure and warm glow. After Wang Feng had just seen this wisp of flame, Jiang Chen immediately withdrew it. ¡°What¡ª?!¡± The Authentic Solar Fire¡¯s penetrative power was extremely great, despite it only appearing for a short moment. Additionally, Jiang Chen had intentionally revealed it so that Wang Feng would immediately notice the abnormality. Jiang Chen had made it look like there was a treasure there. Wang Feng quickened his pace and soon arrived at Jiang Chen¡¯s seclusion chamber. ¡°You sure hid well. You made me look for you.¡± Wang Feng walked through the mountain rocks and smiled at Jiang Chen. He stared at Jiang Chen as if he was looking at a peerless beauty, his eyes filled with fervent desire. ¡°You must have tried really hard to actually be able to find this place!¡± Jiang Chen¡¯s expression was calm. Gazing at Wang Feng, he slowly said, ¡°May I ask why Steward Wang has come to find me? I thought that as long as laborers complete their task, they can spend the rest of the time as they wish.¡± Wang Feng said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want others to find out about something, then just don¡¯t do it. Jiang Chen, your secret has been exposed. Hurry up and hand over your treasures, or else, I won¡¯t be polite to you.¡± Wang Feng took two steps forward, and a yellow flame ignited on his hand. ¡°Sure enough, you¡¯re blinded by greed. I wonder how you found out?¡± Jiang Chen¡¯s tone was low. In the past year or so, he had been very careful and never showed any unusual behavior. How did this person find out? If Jiang Chen did not get this problem sorted out, he might be exposed again. ¡°Hehe, you hid it very well. There weren¡¯t many giveaways either, but that was exactly your biggest flaw. It¡¯s been almost two years, yet you don¡¯t seem to have been corroded by the fire poison at all, and that¡¯s impossible! The fact that there weren¡¯t any problems was your biggest giveaway,¡± Wang Feng said proudly. In his opinion, he had already grasped the situation here. Jiang Chen was like a piece of meat on a chopping board, ready to be slaughtered as he pleased. ¡°I see. In that case, you can die.¡± Jiang Chen had also come to a realization. Thinking about it, it made sense. How could an ordinary fire laborer be fine for such a long time?! It seemed like he had to find a way to resolve this problem as soon as possible after dealing with Wang Feng. ¡°Do you really think you can act so arrogantly in front of me just because you found a fortunate encounter?!¡± Wang Feng laughed heartily. He decided to teach this brat who didn¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth a lesson and let him know how big the gap between a cultivator who had just initiated into the Dao and someone who had gone beyond. However, before Wang Feng could make a move, his laughter came to an abrupt halt, as if he were a male duck suddenly being strangled. His savage expression was completely replaced by fear. In his view, a shred of black fire grew brighter and brighter, quickly occupying his entire vision. ¡°Impossible, this is impossible! ¡°A demonic cultivator? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re a demonic cultivator¡ª AHHH!¡± Amidst a panicked scream, black flames ignited on Wang Feng¡¯s body. With such a huge difference in cultivation, any struggle was futile. Soon, only a charred corpse was left. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°This is the Prison Refining Palm of the Northern Demon Cult. It is your honor to die under this demonic technique,¡± Jiang Chen said mockingly as he looked at the green-robed steward, Wang Feng, who couldn¡¯t be more dead. Those who were hit by this technique would feel intense pain, and their bodies would be abnormally charred as if they had been burned by the flames of a refining prison. Of course, with Jiang Chen¡¯s cultivation at the fourth layer of the Divine Sea realm, he was several stages higher than Wang Feng. With the Prison Refining Palm mastered, it would have been easy enough for him to burn Wang Feng painlessly to ashes. The reason he didn¡¯t do this was merely for the sake of leaving behind Wang Feng¡¯s corpse so that he could mislead the law-enforcement disciples. Otherwise, Jiang Chen would have burnt Wang Feng to a crisp. He then carefully examined the scene. After finding no mistakes, he left quickly with a ball of flames. He had just used the Prison Refining Palm, and the aura of his demonic technique had already leaked out. It would have caused a reaction from the sect¡¯s protection array. He believed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall came to investigate. Shortly after, just as Jiang Chen had expected, a group of Skyfire Sect¡¯s law-enforcement disciples dressed in black robes aggressively rushed to where he had cultivated in seclusion. Leading them was Feng Changqing, the grandson of the Alchemy Hall¡¯s Hall Master Elder, Feng Wannian. At such a young age, he was already at the second layer of the Divine Sea realm and ranked fifth among the core disciples of the sect, truly a young man overflowing with talent. He was a handsome man with a chiseled face, full of masculinity. One look and one would have a good impression of him. ¡°The Prison Refining Palm? It seems like there was indeed a fish that escaped the net last time. No wonder that fellow wouldn¡¯t say anything even if he died.¡± Feng Changqing could tell with a single glance that the person who was killed was killed by the Northern Demon Cult¡¯s true skill, Prison Refining Palm. Furthermore, looking at the corpse, the culprit had already mastered the technique and should definitely be an inner sect disciple of the Northern Demon Cult. He might even be an elite of the God Slaying Hall. Perhaps the person they caught previously was to cover for this person. Feng Changqing thought for a moment and then quickly gave out orders. ¡°Leave two people here to investigate this person¡¯s identity. At the same time, send a message to the sect and activate the array formations of all four directions. Guard the various parts of the sect strictly against the evil plots of these demonic scoundrels. ¡°The others, follow me and continue chasing. That demonic dao scoundrel definitely hasn¡¯t gone far.¡± He himself brought the rest of the law-enforcement disciples and followed the traces left behind by Jiang Chen toward the location of the sect¡¯s West District. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find anything¡­ At this time, the instigator of all this, Jiang Chen, had already returned to the Firesmith Hall. He had already cleared any clue leading to him. It should be impossible for anyone to trace him. Sure enough, in the end, Feng Changqing and the others didn¡¯t find anything. The traces they pursued disappeared when they arrived near the Flame Crystal Mine. The result was that the sect was very tense for a while, and the number of inspections by law-enforcement disciples increased significantly. This also made Jiang Chen do one less thing every day. Before things faded away, he stopped going to the Magma Domain to cultivate. Who knew if there were law-enforcement disciples lurking there, waiting for him to take the bait? Wang Feng was dead. This time, the sect quickly sent a new steward disciple and laborer. His surname was Zheng; his given name was Yun. He was a middle-aged man with a messy beard, someone who didn¡¯t look like a cultivator at all. He also seemed depressed. Clearly, he wasn¡¯t a cheerful person. After this person came to the Firesmith Hall, he seemed to have completely given up on life. Every day, he would drown his sorrows in alcohol. If he wasn¡¯t drinking, he was on his way to drinking. Zheng Yun was obviously someone with a story. After drinking all day, Steward Zheng didn¡¯t have the mood to manage the affairs of the Firesmith Hall. Jiang Chen was definitely more relaxed than when Wang Feng was around. Jiang Chen was happy as well. This was even better for him. With Wang Feng, Jiang Chen obviously had had to be much more cautious. One day, Jiang Chen ¡°inadvertently¡± revealed to Zheng Yun that he had eaten a spirit herb. In the end, Zheng Yun confirmed that Jiang Chen had eaten a stalk of Sun Grass. The Sun Grass was a rare spirit grass. It had an extremely great effect on body tempering. It was enough to help people to develop a great resistance against fire poison. However, it was practically useless for cultivation. Everyone sighed after hearing this. They had thought that Jiang Chen was lucky at first, but their attention towards him gradually vanished after that. Time could not be wasted on anyone. A lucky servant was not worth their attention. Days went by. Winter went, and spring came. Snow and rain fell. Time passed, and quicker than expected, it was Jiang Chen¡¯s 30th year in the Skyfire Sect. He had also become the longest-serving laborer in the entire Firesmith Hall. His cultivation had even reached the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm, already surpassing most of the sect¡¯s deacons. This was because Jiang Chen had been working hard all this time. Moreover, his ability was also very strong. He had completed all the tasks in an orderly manner and had never made a single mistake. After the other firesmith disciples died, Steward Zheng did not continue to apply for new laborers from the sect. Therefore, Jiang Chen took over all the maintenance work of the entire sect¡¯s Fire Gathering Spiritual Array. Right now, only he, a laborer, and Zheng Yun were left in the Firesmith Hall. On a new day, Jiang Chen put a fire spirit rock into a storage bag, then looked at Steward Zheng who was drinking by himself in the courtyard, and said casually, ¡°Elder Zheng, I¡¯m going out. Don¡¯t drink too much. When you¡¯re old, you have to be able to admit your limits. If you continue drinking, your body will collapse.¡± Zheng Yun was at the fifth layer of the Divine Sea and had a lifespan of 300 years. He was not even seventy years old yet, which meant that he had just entered his prime. They didn¡¯t interact much in the nearly thirty years together ¡ª the past twenty-some years with just the two of them in the entire Firesmith Hall ¡ª but they still became friends. The storage bag on Jiang Chen¡¯s body was given to him by Steward Zheng. After all, he was responsible for the maintenance of the entire sect¡¯s Fire Gathering Spiritual Array by himself. It was impossible for him to bring all the spirit stones in one go with just his two hands. Even without a storage bag, Jiang Chen could have easily brought all the spirit stones with him. However, that would require him to use his magic power. This was not in line with his ¡°character¡± as a fire laborer. Jiang Chen walked out of the Firesmith Hall and looked up at the sun in the sky. Then, he took out a die [singular form of dice] and threw it into the air. He caught it easily and then looked at the number on it to determine which area to start from today. If an expert from the sect were to examine the die carefully, they would probably be so shocked that their jaw would drop. This ordinary-looking die was actually a spirit tool with 21 restrictions. In this world, cultivators would often use suitable magic tools and spirit weapons. Weapons in the mortal world, even divine weapons, could not hold the spirit qi and magic power of cultivators. Only magic tools and spirit weapons could do so. The strength of magic tools was measured by the number of layers of restrictions. The more restrictions there were, the more powerful they would be. Every 12 levels of the restriction was a division. From the lowest grade magic tools to the highest grade spirit treasures. The die in Jiang Chen¡¯s hand had been refined in his spare time. It was a spirit tool with 21 restrictions! With the signing in of the system, he naturally also obtained the tool-refining technique. Magic tools were rare and expensive. In the Skyfire Sect, other than the rich disciples, even most of the inner sect disciples did not have many magic tools, much less spirit tools with 21 restrictions. Ordinary disciples who obtained a magic tool would be sure to take great care of it. As for Jiang Chen, he treated this magical tool like a toy. After all, he was a grandmaster tool refiner! Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Number three¡­ Let¡¯s go to South District then. I¡¯ll sign in there today.¡± Jiang Chen put away the die and headed south. His steps weren¡¯t large, but they were exceptionally powerful and filled with a unique rhythm. They seemed to have a faint version of the sound of thunder, and in a short while, he arrived at the southern district of the sect. He naturally signed in at the Alchemy Hall. As expected, it was another bottle of medicinal pills. [Divine Accumulation Pill]. Jiang Chen took a look at the pill he received and smiled. The Divine Accumulation Pill was not bad. It could train a cultivator¡¯s divinity, which would be of great help to him when he advanced to the Golden Bridge realm in the future. If not for that, Jiang Chen would not have come all the way here to sign in. After completing the task, Jiang Chen cast an illusionary attire over himself and used his magic power to cover his face. Then, he went to the place where Xu Xin usually was. Sure enough, she was refining pills there. ¡°Hmm, your technique has improved quite a bit. Not bad, you¡¯ve improved very quickly. Looks like I won¡¯t have anything to teach you soon.¡± Jiang Chen had waited for Xu Xin to finish refining before speaking. Over the past 20 years, Jiang Chen would occasionally pass by this place and give Xu Xin some pointers. He would treat it as seeing a beauty to relieve his boredom. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re here!¡± Xu Xin was pleasantly surprised. In the past few years, her pill-refining skills had advanced by leaps and bounds. She had already surpassed many senior brothers and sisters in the Alchemy Hall. Her achievements were all thanks to this mysterious senior in front of her. ¡°Yes, I had nothing to do, so I came to take a look. Although you did well just now, there were still some minor flaws.¡± ¡°Please advise me, Senior.¡± Xu Xin cupped her fists and bowed respectfully. When she bent down, her plump breasts protruded out. When Jiang Chen saw this, he could not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Fortunately, his entire face was covered by his magic power, and Xu Xin did not see anything. Otherwise, his image as a mysterious expert would have been destroyed. ¡°The trick to pill refinement is focusing on refining one¡¯s heart. The techniques of the predecessors can be learned, but one cannot only be stuck to them.¡± ¡°Remember to have doubts. Any method is just a reference, so make sure you have comprehended it wholeheartedly first. Only by walking your own path can you walk further on this path.¡± After hearing Jiang Chen¡¯s words, Xu Xin was stunned. She stopped in her tracks and shuddered! Her beautiful eyes were filled with disbelief! Instantly, Xu Xin felt the bottleneck that had troubled her for many days shatter with a loud bang. The methods of pill refinement in her mind seemed to come alive and merge together. Unknowingly, Xu Xin¡¯s pill-refining skills kept improving, and she fell into a state of enlightenment. ¡°She is indeed worthy of teaching!¡± Jiang Chen could naturally tell that Xu Xin had fallen into a state of epiphany. With this epiphany, not only would her pill-refining skills improve greatly, even her cultivation would probably improve by quite a bit. Such a state could only be chanced upon by luck. Only true geniuses could comprehend it by chance. Then, Jiang Chen left. He could not allow her epiphany to be interrupted. Otherwise, all his efforts would be wasted. After a long time. Xu Xin recovered. The aura around her body had become even more harmonious, and her cultivation had actually directly risen by a level, reaching the third layer of the Divine Sea realm. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. So that¡¯s how it is!¡± At this time, Xu Xin did not pay attention to her cultivation. Instead, she was constantly pondering about her new understanding of pill refining. At this moment, she had already become a middle-grade spirit-pill master and was only a step away from becoming a high-grade one. However, she quickly came back to her senses. She was able to achieve her current results all because of that senior. Just as she was about to thank him, she realized that there was no longer any trace of him. However, she was not disappointed. Instead, her eyes sparkled. ¡°Xu Xin will definitely not dare to forget Senior¡¯s teachings.¡± Another few months passed. One day, after Jiang Chen had completed his task, he went to the Laborer Courtyard. He looked at the familiar building in front of him and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little emotional. Thirty years wasn¡¯t that long. For powerful cultivators, perhaps it was just a period of seclusion, but for those who hadn¡¯t entered the cultivation realm, it was already extremely long. How many 30-years could an ordinary person live? Jiang Chen could not help but walk into the courtyard. This was also the first time he had returned after leaving the laborer courtyard 30 years ago. After all, he had transmigrated to this world 30 years ago. As soon as he arrived at the courtyard, he heard the low voices of the other disciples. ¡°I heard that a core disciple of the Northern Demon Cult has entered the world and already defeated several famous experts on the Soaring Dragon Rankings!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A month ago, this person defeated Vajra Sect¡¯s Hang Chi, eighth on the Soaring Dragon Rankings. Now he¡¯s heading south. It goes without saying that he¡¯s heading for the fifth-ranked Lu Shouxi.¡± The Soaring Dragon Rankings ranked the younger generation disciples of the various sects in the world who were no older than 50 years old. There were a total of 36 spots. Anyone who could enter the Soaring Dragon Rankings had a cultivation base at least at the third layer of the Divine Sea. Even the top few on the Soaring Dragon Roll were peerless geniuses who had stepped into the Divine Sea realm. The Northern Demon Sect¡¯s core disciple, Gu Changfeng, was rumored to be only 30 years old, and his cultivation had already reached the fifth layer of the Divine Sea realm. His demonic dao cultivation technique, Heavenly Fiend Nine Revolutions, had even reached the sixth revolution. His talent was unparalleled, and he dominated the world. From the day Gu Changfeng came out of seclusion, he had consecutively challenged the famous experts on the Soaring Dragon Rankings. First, he had defeated number 16 on the Rankings, Fang Sheng. Then, he had defeated several top-ranked young experts in succession. In his most recent battle, he had easily defeated the eighth-ranked Hang Chi of the Vajra Sect, who was also at the fifth layer of the Divine Sea realm. If he were to head south now, it was certain that he would target their Skyfire Sect. ¡°Heh heh, that demonic brat dares to target Lu Shouxi. He must be tired of living.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only does our Skyfire Sect¡¯s cultivation technique counter demon-formulation cultivation techniques, Lu Shouxi has also already advanced to the sixth layer of the Divine Sea realm a few days ago. It¡¯s fine if that demonic brat isn¡¯t around, but if he dares to come, he¡¯ll definitely burn him to ashes!¡± The many disciples of the labor department gossiped excitedly. Many of them were flushed with excitement. Obviously, they were full of confidence that Lu Shouxi could easily defeat Gu Changfeng. This was one of the few things the labor disciples enjoyed doing. The labor disciples didn¡¯t need to cultivate, so they would discuss the latest news when they had free time. Very quickly, the laborers changed the topic. They would either talk about spirit treasures that appeared recently or fiend demons wreaking havoc. Finally, they talked about the current situation of the world. Jiang Chen had long been isolated and barely knew anything about the outside world. At this moment, he found it interesting and unknowingly immersed himself in it. ¡°What are you all gathered here for?! Don¡¯t you need to work?! A bunch of stupid brats. Raising you is simply a waste of the sect¡¯s food. Hurry up and get to work!¡± At that moment, a furious roar had sounded from the laborers¡¯ quarters. Jiang Chen looked up and saw a familiar yellow figure rushing in like a gust of wind from outside the laborer courtyard. It was the deacon of the labor department, Deacon Huang. Unexpectedly, after more than thirty years, this person was still a deacon here. Jiang Chen gazed at Deacon Huang. He thought that there would be resentment against Deacon Huang in his heart, but when he saw him, he realized that the anger in his heart had long been extinguished. In his eyes, this Deacon Huang was like a joke. How could he still take a joke seriously? Deacon Huang¡¯s face was cold as he glared at the many laborers in the courtyard and said coldly, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys getting back to work? Are all of you here because you want to be beaten up?¡± Following Deacon Huang¡¯s angry shouting, the laborers immediately dispersed. Jiang Chen was about to leave when he heard Deacon Huang¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Ho, isn¡¯t this our lucky Jiang Chen?!¡± Cultivators had very good memories. Even though they had not seen each other for more than thirty years, Deacon Huang still recognized Jiang Chen at a glance. The deacon did not expect that a laborer that he thought would not live for long would be so extremely lucky to have eaten a rare stalk of Sun Grass and obtained a fire-resistant constitution. Furthermore, his lifespan had greatly increased, allowing him to live to this day. ¡°Deacon Huang, is there anything you need from me? If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving. After all, there are still a few spiritual arrays waiting for me to change the spirit stones.¡± Jiang Chen looked at Deacon Huang fearlessly. After cultivating for dozens of years, Deacon Huang was still lingering around the first layer of the Divine Sea. He had already been surpassed by several junior disciples. What trash. No wonder he remained a deacon of the labor department. At first, Deacon Huang had only wanted to take the opportunity to reprimand Jiang Chen after seeing him here and vent his anger. However, when he saw Jiang Chen¡¯s neither servile nor overbearing gaze, which seemed to be looking down on him, he was instantly enraged. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯t think that you can look down on me just because you¡¯re now at the Firesmith Hall. Today, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson on behalf of Steward Zheng and let you know that laborers are nothing more than dogs raised by the sect.¡± As Deacon Huang spoke, he directly attacked Jiang Chen. He suddenly waved his sleeves, and a palm burning with faint flames struck towards Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. The magic power in his spirit sea fluctuated slightly, but his strong willpower suppressed it. He took a small step back and pretended as if he was very afraid. He retreated five or six steps and narrowly avoided the flaming palm. ¡°Mmh? You were actually able to dodge it. I didn¡¯t think that the Sun Grass would be able to transform your body to such a powerful state. You were able to dodge my Flaming Hands with just your instinctive reaction.¡± When Deacon Huang saw this scene, his heart trembled. But immediately after, he saw Jiang Chen¡¯s despicable gaze that looked down on him. He snorted coldly and struck out two more times. Two flashes of illusionary flaming palms blocked Jiang Chen¡¯s escape route from both sides. ¡°Let¡¯s see where you can hide this time!¡± Deacon Huang looked at this bastard who had nowhere to hide and sneered. He had to teach Jiang Chen a lesson that he would remember forever. ¡°Stop!¡± However, right at this moment, a delicate voice sounded. A light blue figure suddenly appeared in front of Jiang Chen. The figure struck out with its palm, and a green flame that was emitting strong vitality suddenly shot forward and exploded, devouring the two flaming palms. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Xin blocked Deacon Huang¡¯s flaming hand and said seriously, ¡°The sect has its own laws. How can Deacon Huang abuse them with a private punishment here?! This is just wrong!¡± She had a gentle and kind personality and could not bear to see her fellow sect members bullying the weak, even if the one being bullied was a mere labor disciple. Deacon Huang¡¯s face darkened. ¡°So it¡¯s Junior Sister Xu. This laborer has no respect for his elders and doesn¡¯t abide by the sect¡¯s rules. I just want to teach him the rules.¡± Jiang Chen was just a laborer. In their eyes, he was just a servant raised by the sect, nothing more than a slave. Did Xu Xin actually dare to publicly embarrass Deacon Huang by ordering him to stop for the sake of a laborer like Jiang Chen? Even though Deacon Huang had already driven all of the laborers away, there were still quite a few people who hadn¡¯t gone far, and quite a few of them had witnessed the scene. His prestige had been completely destroyed. How was he going to lead the masses in the future? This made Deacon Huang very angry. However, he could not afford to offend the young girl in front of him. Xu Xin was an outstanding existence among this generation of Skyfire Sect disciples. She was the personal disciple of the Alchemy Hall¡¯s Third Elder. If it was in the past, even Xu Xin would have had to address him as Senior Uncle. At that time, he would have been unwilling to offend Xu Xin mostly because of Elder Hao behind her. But now, Xu Xin was already at the Divine Sea realm. According to the rules of the Skyfire Sect, the one with the higher cultivation level was considered to have higher status. Xu Xin could already speak to him as an equal, and when they met, she could just call him ¡°Senior Brother¡±. Xu Xin already possessed such a cultivation at such a young age. Coupled with the fact that she was also a spirit-pill master, her status was already something that a deacon of the labor department couldn¡¯t compare to. He had no choice but to take her seriously. More importantly, Deacon Huang could not see through Xu Xin¡¯s cultivation at all. This meant that the other party was at least two levels higher than him! Xu Xin was unmoved, her face still serious. ¡°Senior Brother Huang, it seems like your mood has gotten better too. Please spare him for my sake.¡± Strictly speaking, it was still Deacon Huang¡¯s fault. After all, even though Jiang Chen was still a laborer, he had been transferred out of the labor department and was now directly under the jurisdiction of the Firesmith Hall. As a deacon of the labor department, Deacon Huang did not really have authority over Jiang Chen anymore. Now, with Xu Xin interfering, it was indeed impossible for him to punish Jiang Chen. ¡°Since Junior Sister Xu is so persistent, then let¡¯s forget about it. It wasn¡¯t a big issue anyway.¡± Deacon Huang glanced at Jiang Chen from the corner of his eyes and snorted coldly. Then, he turned around and left unhappily. ¡°Alright, hurry up and get back to work. Remember to stay away from that Deacon Huang when you see him in the future. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a good person.¡± Xu Xin turned around and looked at Jiang Chen with her big, beautiful eyes. When she passed by the Laborer Courtyard just now, she saw Deacon Huang picking on a laborer. She couldn¡¯t bear it, so she came to intervene. However, after turning around, Xu Xin had only now gotten a good look at Jiang Chen¡¯s face. She thought Jiang Chen had a handsome face and looked radiant. Even if he wore the grey-colored uniform of a laborer, it didn¡¯t conceal his extraordinary and exceptional aura, which seemed superior to those of the disciples of many sects. For some reason, Xu Xin instinctively wanted to take a few more glances. ¡°Thank you for your help, Senior Sister.¡± Jiang Chen thanked Xu Xin with cupped hands, then turned around, and left quickly. Xu Xin¡¯s gaze really made him feel uncomfortable. Could it be that she had noticed something? Xu Xin! How can you stare at him just because you think he¡¯s good-looking? He must have seen that look just now. How embarrassing. But I just can¡¯t help but want to take a look. And why does he seem so familiar? Xu Xin blushed, her gaze fixed on Jiang Chen¡¯s departing figure. A sense of familiarity had struck her, but she was very sure that she hadn¡¯t met this young servant before. Unable to figure it out, Xu Xin gave a self-deprecating laugh. Perhaps she was a little nervous because the tournament was approaching. Xu Xin left, attributing the feeling in her heart to her recent nervousness. She naturally couldn¡¯t imagine that Jiang Chen was the person who had saved her once in the Magma Domain and was also the mysterious alchemy greatmaster who had taught her pill-refining skills. On the road leading to the East District¡¯s Law Enforcement Hall. Deacon Huang¡¯s face was cold as he walked quickly. ¡°Hmph, a pair of adulterers. ¡°The b*tch might have protected you this time, but she won¡¯t be able to protect you forever. Hmph! A mere laborer! I will teach you a lesson soon.¡± Deacon Huang cursed as he thought about what he would say if he saw Senior Sister Xu again in the future. He was rebuked by a laborer and was humiliated by a junior right after. Deacon Huang was furious. Those who were familiar with him knew that this person was someone who would seek revenge for the smallest grievance. He would definitely take revenge on those who offended him. However, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend Xu Xin, so he wouldn¡¯t dare to take revenge on her. But not everyone was afraid of Xu Xin. Senior Sister Chen from the Law Enforcement Hall was one of such people. Senior Sister Chen was of the same generation as him. In the past, she was also one of the top 10 core disciples of the sect, and her cultivation had already reached the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm. In the sect, she was reputed to be one of the few people with the highest chance of breaking through to the Golden Bridge realm. Once Senior Sister Chen broke through to this Realm, she would definitely take over the Law Enforcement Hall in the future. A candidate to become a hall master elder of a sect naturally wasn¡¯t afraid of a rising star like Xu Xin. Even Xu Xin¡¯s master, Elder Hao of the Alchemy Hall, paled in comparison to Senior Sister Chen. Additionally, Deacon Huang was aware that Senior Sister Chen¡¯s cultivation had reached a crucial point. The fire poison in her body had already accumulated to a very serious level, and she urgently needed a human furnace1 with a strong physique and extremely high resistance to fire poison to help expel this poison in her body. Jiang Chen, who had consumed the Sun Grass, had a physique that was even stronger than that of an ordinary body tempering cultivator. He also had a powerful fire-repelling characteristic, which just happened to meet Senior Sister Chen¡¯s requirements. Not to mention, Senior Sister Chen had also taken a liking to Jiang Chen 30 years ago. At that time, Jiang Chen was unwilling, and Senior Sister Chen thought highly of herself, so she didn¡¯t force him. But times had changed. Deacon Huang did not believe that Senior Sister Chen would not be moved after hearing about the news regarding Jiang Chen. Soon, Deacon Huang arrived at the Law Enforcement Hall. After announcing why he was there, he met with Senior Sister Chen Huan, who was one of the three law enforcement deputies of the Hall. Her cultivation was even at the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm, close to some of the older experts in the sect. At this moment, Chen Huan was lying lazily on an embroidered bed. She was only wearing a light muslin dress, and her curvaceous figure was faintly discernible. This woman was constantly emitting a strange charm, causing every man who saw her to be unable to help but feel ripples in their heart. ¡°Why have you come to meet me? If it¡¯s nothing of value, you¡¯ll find me quite displeased.¡± Her lazy voice was as soft as a cat¡¯s. It made Deacon Huang, who was trying his best to endure, react involuntarily. He lowered his head and shifted his feet to hide his embarrassment. He didn¡¯t dare to look at that alluring body again. ¡°Senior Sister Chen, I heard that you were looking for a human furnace. It just so happens that I have a candidate here that should be able to satisfy Senior Sister Chen¡¯s needs.¡± ¡°Oh~? Tell me more. If I like it, you will definitely be rewarded.¡± Chen Huan seemed to be interested. She propped up her chin with a delicate hand. The laziness on her face disappeared, and she became focused again, looking like a young girl full of curiosity. Deacon Huang still did not dare to raise his head. He started to explain Jiang Chen¡¯s situation in detail. ¡°So it¡¯s him. I remember now. An interesting little fellow. I didn¡¯t expect such good fortune.¡± Chen Huan thought of that stubborn figure and couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I¡¯m very satisfied. This is for you. Goodbye!¡± Chen Huan casually threw out a medicinal pill that was suffused with five colored radiances. After that, the curtain in the room fell down and covered Deacon Huang¡¯s line of sight. ¡°Five Fires Qi Integration Pill!¡± Deacon Huang took a look at the medicinal pill in his hand and could not help but feel delighted. He carefully placed the pill into a porcelain bottle and quickly left. Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After exiting the law enforcement hall, Deacon Huang¡¯s footsteps became much lighter. It was a joyous occasion that left him in high spirits. Before going there, even he did not expect that the Senior Sister Chen would be so generous from hearing about Jiang Chen. She had given him a Five Fires Qi Integration Pill! This pill was something that could help a Divine Sea cultivator make a breakthrough! The Five Fires Qi Integration Pill could only be refined after 49 days with the essence qi of 18 different beasts and five types of nimble powers. Not to mention the preciousness of the raw materials, even the cost of hiring a spirit-pill master to continuously refine for 49 days without rest would already be pretty high. Furthermore, the failure rate of this pill was very high. It could be said that if one was not careful, one would definitely fail. Therefore, the value of the pill was rather high. Even Deacon Huang, who had been in charge of the laborers in the Skyfire Sect for so many years, could not afford a single Five Fires Qi Integration Pill even with all his wealth. Initially, he had only hoped for a few spirit stones or other medicinal pills since the most important thing was still just to vent his anger. If Xu Xin stayed put, it would all be fine. But if Xu Xin dared to stop Senior Sister Chen, she would definitely be taught a good lesson by Senior Sister. I didn¡¯t expect Senior Sister Chen to be so generous! After I return, I¡¯ll hurry up and go into seclusion. I¡¯ll try to increase my cultivation by another level. If I can¡¯t reach the second layer of the Divine Sea realm this time, I won¡¯t leave seclusion, Deacon Huang thought to himself as a smile appeared on his thin long face. He wasn¡¯t slow when he went there, but when he returned, he was even faster. Soon, he left East District and returned to the South District Laborer Courtyard. At this moment, besides a few laborers that had finished their work and returned to rest, there was no one else there. Everything was as usual. Deacon Huang naturally did not care about these people. He went straight back to his room. He was the deacon of the Labor Department and lived in the best room. Because of his usual cultivation needs, he had opened up a secret cultivation room near the mountain and set up a small spirit gathering array. In the sect, many cultivators who had reached the Divine Sea realm did the same. However, those people¡¯s cave abodes were usually high on the mountain peaks that had more spiritual qi. The reason why Deacon Huang opened up his cave abode here was that he had wanted to save spirit stones when purchasing one. With his stingy character, he naturally did not intend to rent a cultivation room from the sect. He planned to break through in his own cave abode so that he could save a considerable amount of rental fees. ¡°With the Five Fires Qi Integration Pill, even if the spirit qi here is slightly weaker, it¡¯s enough for me to break through.¡± Deacon Huang entered the secret room and activated the outer protection array. Then, he increased the power of the small spirit gathering array in the secret room to its maximum. After everything was prepared, he sat upright on the futon and took out the Five Fires Qi Integration Pill. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start preparing for the breakthrough. I won¡¯t use any medicinal pills for now. Perhaps I might be able to break through by myself.¡± Deacon Huang made his preparations and closed his eyes to circulate his profound technique. Initially, he did not plan on using the Five Fires Qi Integration Pill. If he relied on his own strength to break through, wouldn¡¯t he be able to save a precious medicinal pill? Along with the circulation of his cultivation technique, his spirit sea shook, and the faint red magic power-condensed liquid in his spirit sea immediately began to stir. Threads of spirit qi were continuously absorbed into his body and then compressed into his spirit sea as he circulated them. However, that mysterious and profound change he was looking for never happened. ¡°Indeed, I cannot break through by myself!¡± Deacon Huang sighed as if he had known this would happen. Since he still could not rely on himself to break through, it looked like this precious medicinal pill could not be left behind. He was only trying this time because of his miserly personality. ¡°Five Fires Qi Integration Pill!¡± Deacon Huang activated his magic power and pulled out the pill that was flickering with five different flames. Then, he abruptly inhaled, and the pill entered his mouth. Suddenly, there was a loud bang. After the pill was digested, the five colored radiances entered his spirit sea in an instant. The already turbulent spirit sea immediately underwent a shocking change. It was as if a huge amount of energy had been injected into it all of a sudden. A mysterious and profound strand of qi was born in Deacon Huang¡¯s spiritual sea. This was a mysterious change. After this change, the magic power in the spiritual sea would become purer and more condensed. However, with Deacon Huang¡¯s talent, it was already fortunate that he could cultivate to the Divine Sea realm. Originally, his talent limited him to the first layer of the Divine Sea. But now, with the help of the Five Fires Qi Integration Pill, he began to slowly advance. Deacon Huang, who was in the midst of his advancement, clearly did not expect that danger was already approaching him. ¡°This person is actually leveling up? This is a heaven-sent opportunity!¡± Outside the secret room, a figure gradually appeared in Deacon Huang¡¯s bedroom. Jiang Chen scanned with his mind and immediately discovered Deacon Huang who was in the secret chamber. After all, the protection array that the deacon used was only the lowest level array. Meaning, it could only defend against those laborers who did not cultivate. It could not even defend against Dao Initiation cultivators. Deacon Huang¡¯s treatment of him today made Jiang Chen recall what happened 30 years ago. Jiang Chen was not the type to repay a harmful act with kindness. It was never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. In addition, during the conflict today, Jiang Chen had already sensed that when Deacon Huang had left, he had an undisguised evil intention in his heart. Therefore, Jiang Chen decided to get rid of him today. ¡°It seems I can save myself quite a bit of trouble. Unlucky fellow. I can use him for a test.¡± Jiang Chen¡¯s eyes flashed with a fiery light. He had previously obtained a martial art technique called Five Poison Divine Palm from signing in. It was unknown which senior expert of the Skyfire Sect had created this technique that was unconventional and did not focus on condensing the fire spirit magic powers. Instead, it condensed the power of five types of fire poison. When one struck out with one¡¯s palm, the power of fire poison would surge out and produce extremely damaging injuries. Jiang Chen raised his palm, and the formless and damaging power of the fire poison condensed into an invisible Yin wind. It struck at Deacon Huang, who was cultivating in seclusion. The attack of the Five Poison Divine Palm! Deacon Huang, who was in the midst of cultivating, suddenly felt a sense of danger. However, before he could stop cultivating and defend himself, he was struck by the fire-poison palm attack. Not only was the difference in their cultivation levels too great, Jiang Chen was also very meticulous with his sneak attack. Before Deacon Huang could react, the surging fire poison invaded his body and entered his spirit sea. He had not finished his advancement yet. Now that the fire poison invaded his body without any warning, the balance in his spirit sea was broken. Cough! Confused and deep in his cultivation, Deacon Huang spat out blood from his severe injuries. The advancement process was interrupted at once. At best, only his vitality would suffer. At worst, his foundation was damaged. However, the fire poison could still invade into his body, which was what everyone in the Skyfire Sect feared most. The massive amount of fire poison instantly destroyed Deacon Huang¡¯s internal organs along with his spiritual sea. In an instant, Deacon Huang started shouting like a madman. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m the Skyfire Sect¡¯s sect master! I¡¯m number one in the world. All the Skyfire Sect¡¯s money is mine. Hahahaha!¡± However, not long after, the magic power in his body suddenly surged, and his originally thin and weak body swelled up like a bellow. His voice sounded as if it came from a duck¡¯s neck that had been gripped tightly. After a series of squeaking sounds, he suddenly exploded. Jiang Chen looked at the body that was no longer human and said with surprise, ¡°He actually died so miserably!¡± He had not expected the Five Poison Divine Palm to be so powerful. At the same time, he could not help but sigh. Skyfire Sect¡¯s cultivation relied on spirit fire as the foundation. If Deacon Huang had possessed a spirit fire above the earth grade, then the power of the fire poison would have at most severely injured him and definitely not killed him. Unfortunately, there were no ¡°what if¡¯s¡± in this world. Jiang Chen took care of all the traces of him being here and disguised the scene as an accident before leaving quietly. Just like when he came, he didn¡¯t alert anyone. Three days later, Jiang Chen once again passed by South District¡¯s laborer courtyard. At this moment, the entire courtyard was surrounded by a large group of people. Most of them were gray-clothed laborers at the outermost perimeter, but there were also several black-clothed Law Enforcement Hall disciples. ¡°He died so tragically. His cultivation went berserk. I didn¡¯t expect him to die just like that.¡± ¡°Haha, with Deacon Huang¡¯s character, he deserved to die. When he was practicing martial arts, fire poison must have entered his body. It seems like even the heavens were against him.¡± The people around them were discussing fervently. It was obvious that Deacon Huang¡¯s reputation was not good. Everyone was mocking him, and no one spoke up for him. ¡°Shut up and get to work.¡± The laborers dispersed immediately after being yelled at by a sect disciple. Then, the corpse that was covered by a white cloth was carried out. Seeing this scene, Jiang Chen¡¯s expression did not change at all. He passed by the law-enforcement disciples carrying the corpse and then headed deeper into South District. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°What? You¡¯re saying that Huang Qi from the laborer department died? And he died from cultivation deviation?¡± Hearing the report from her subordinate, Senior Sister Chen Huan, who had a lazy expression on her face, revealed a grim expression. That Huang Qi had just reported to her, and now, he had suddenly died after he went back home? She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if someone was plotting something behind her back. Although the Skyfire Sect prohibited the killing of fellow disciples on the surface and offenders would be severely punished upon discovery, there were still conflicts always happening in the dark. Wherever there were people, there would be plots and conflicts. This was an irrefutable truth that had existed since ancient times. For Chen Huan to reach her current level, other than her outstanding talent, it was also because she was careful and ruthless enough. She had never been soft-hearted when facing her enemies. That was how she had defeated so many opponents and reached this point. Even now, there were countless people secretly hoping for her death. Thus, even though Huang Qi was just a mere deacon of the labor department, Chen Huan was still extremely mindful about the incident. She then asked, ¡°Are you sure that he really died from a berserk qi deviation?¡± The law-enforcement disciple replied respectfully, ¡°That¡¯s right. This subordinate has already checked over and over again. Indeed, when he broke through, he couldn¡¯t suppress the fire poison in his body and died from qi deviation.¡± ¡°Mn, what trash. You wasted one of my medicinal pills for nothing.¡± Chen Huan snorted coldly. She was very unhappy. She paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Stop what I asked you to do before. Don¡¯t come into contact with that laborer for now. The sect tournament is about to begin. I don¡¯t know how many pairs of eyes are watching. At this time, we mustn¡¯t cause any more trouble. Alright, you may leave.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am!¡± After the subordinate left, the chamber fell into silence again. ¡°Maybe I was overthinking!¡± Chen Huan¡¯s expression was uncertain. After an unknown period of time, she let out a faint sigh. The Skyfire Sect held a mini-tournament once every 10 years and a tournament every 50 years. There was less than a month left until the sect tournament. This tournament was the best time for the Skyfire Sect disciples to show off their cultivation levels. As long as one was able to obtain first place, one would naturally be able to obtain various resources, magic treasures, and various other rewards. And if some elder were to take a fancy to him, he would then be certain to be able to soar to the skies. The sect had been busy with this matter all this while. However, it was obvious to everyone that the sect tournament had nothing to do with someone like Jiang Chen. After all, he was only a labor disciple. On this day, Jiang Chen did not choose to go out after he finished his work. Instead, he returned to the Firesmith Hall early. In the courtyard of the Firesmith Hall, on a stone table, Jiang Chen and Steward Zheng sat opposite each other. Under the control of a formless hand, a pot of fine wine was accurately poured into the wine cups in front of them. They drank together uninterrupted, cup after cup. ¡°Old Buddy Zheng, I feel like something¡¯s wrong with you today. Why did you go out of your way to come have a drink with me?¡± After several years of interaction, Jiang Chen and Steward Zheng were very familiar with each other, so they could converse in casual tones. However, they rarely ever drank together. Jiang Chen was not good at drinking, and he had work to do; also, he needed time to cultivate. Usually, Steward Zheng would get drunk alone. But today, he actually looked for Jiang Chen to drink wine for the first time. Jiang Chen could see that the steward was a person with a story in his heart. Otherwise, how could the fifth-layer Divine Sea Zheng come to the Firesmith Hall to be a steward? No matter where he was, he would be qualified to be a deacon. ¡°Huhu, why? Can¡¯t we drink for no reason? This is the Fire Cloud Brew, a rare good wine. If others wanted to drink this with me, I wouldn¡¯t have let them!¡± Steward Zheng seemed to be a little drunk. His eyes were glazed over, and his arm that was holding the wine was trembling. Jiang Chen said, ¡°A mere Fire Cloud Brew. I¡¯ve even drunk Roaming Drunk Dragon before.¡± ¡°What a load of bullsh*t! Even I¡¯ve never drunk that wine before! How could you have possibly drunk it?¡± Steward Zheng clearly didn¡¯t believe him. He thought that Jiang Chen was joking. Roaming Drunk Dragon was a secret inheritance of the Central Continent¡¯s great sect, the Cloud Soaring Sword Sect. It was third in the World Spirit Wine Ranking, seven ranks higher than the Fire Cloud Brew. Roaming Drunk Dragon was made from 33 middle-grade spiritual materials. It was then sealed within a spiritual array for at least a hundred years before it could be formed. It was extremely precious, and had a heavy and long-lasting taste to it. Even a True Dragon would be drunk after drinking merely a mouthful of it. Jiang Chen was just a laborer who didn¡¯t cultivate and didn¡¯t have a powerful cultivation. If he had really drunk this, he would have been dead long ago. How could he be drinking with him here? ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Jiang Chen laughed heartily. He never lied and naturally wouldn¡¯t lie to Steward Zheng either. Roaming Drunk Dragon was something he had obtained from signing in. At first, he didn¡¯t know how precious this wine was, so he just drank it as he would an ordinary wine. At that time, his cultivation was only at the third layer of the Divine Sea realm, but his mortal body was even more robust than that. Even so, he had still become drunk for a full 10 hours. It was a pity that he never got another spiritual wine like it after that. Otherwise, he would definitely take it out today so that Steward Zheng could broaden his horizons. ¡°Alright, if there¡¯s anything, just say it,¡± Jiang Chen said. ¡°It¡¯s going to be the sect tournament soon. At that time, I might have to leave and might not return in the future¡­¡± Steward Zheng¡¯s eyes became more and more dazed. His arms also trembled more and more, even spilling some of the wine. He was really drunk! ¡°Oh?¡± Jiang Chen replied. After that, neither of them spoke. One cup after another. Soon, Steward Zheng was completely drunk and directly collapsed on the stone table. On the other hand, Jiang Chen continued drinking after his companion was drunk and finished the rest of the wine. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what it is, why do I feel like you have the intention to die?¡± Jiang Chen muttered to himself. Steward Zheng didn¡¯t say what would happen in the end, but Jiang Chen could easily feel his determination to die. Soon, Jiang Chen stood up and left. He was determined to inquire about Zheng Yun¡¯s past. Perhaps this matter was related to why Steward Zheng had come to the Firesmith Hall. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. In the sect tournament, when disciples show off their talent, they can openly solve their personal grudges and directly participate in the arena of life and death.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Jiang Chen to learn of Steward Zheng¡¯s story. It turned out that he once had a lover, who was killed by someone when she was out on a sect mission. After some investigation, Steward Zheng had discovered that all of this was done by his junior brother, the current chief disciple of the Forging Hall, Luo Cheng. The two of them were once outstanding disciples of the Forging Hall, both in the limelight in the sect. However, they fell in love with a woman at the same time, and that woman had chosen Steward Zheng. It was just like many soap operas Jiang Chen had seen in his previous life. The Junior Brother Luo Cheng¡¯s love had turned to hate. While on a mission, Luo Cheng¡¯s confession that he himself thought was a sure deal was rejected by her since she already loved Zheng Yun. Because the other party had not bent to his will, Luo Cheng decided to kill her himself. Although Steward Zheng found out about the truth, he did not have any evidence. Because of this, he had secretly challenged Luo Cheng to a duel, but he had fallen into the other party¡¯s trap and was crippled instead. As a result, Steward Zheng lost his reputation as a genius and was sent to the Firesmith Hall by the sect. And this sect tournament was his last chance. If he didn¡¯t make a move this time, Luo Cheng¡¯s status would rise again, and he would never have another chance. ¡°So, this is the reason why you want to ¡®leave¡¯. Are you preparing to initiate your final challenge in the sect tournament?¡± Jiang Chen muttered to himself, and he had to admit that Steward Zheng¡¯s trip this time was probably complete suicide! His opponent was the current chief disciple of the Forging Hall. In terms of cultivation, he was at the sixth layer of the Divine Sea realm, a level higher than him. Steward Zheng was absolutely not his match! Chapter 20 - Grudges Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Chen knew that with Steward Zheng¡¯s cultivation, he definitely must have an extremely glorious past. Previously, Jiang Chen had never asked about his past, and Steward Zheng had never brought it up. Now, Jiang Chen understood. Why did Steward Zheng say that he might not return in a few days? After understanding the twists and turns, Jiang Chen naturally knew that he was preparing to challenge his former junior brother, Luo Cheng, in the sect tournament. Although there was no direct evidence of Luo Cheng¡¯s evil deeds, the sect¡¯s blind eye to injustice was also an important reason for Steward Zheng¡¯s tragedy. Otherwise, there was no way the sect wouldn¡¯t be able to find out the truth. It was all because of the obstruction from Luo Cheng¡¯s backer that led to today¡¯s outcome. ¡°So, you¡¯re preparing to seek revenge in the sect tournament. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that you will likely die if you do that?¡± Jiang Chen sighed. Currently, the chief disciple of the Forging Hall, Luo Cheng, was already at the sixth layer of the Divine Sea realm. As for Steward Zheng, he hadn¡¯t made any progress in so many years and was still hovering around the fifth layer of the Divine Sea. If they were to really fight, he would definitely not be a match for Luo Cheng! It was no different from throwing an egg at a rock. He was simply sending himself to his death. For the past few decades, Jiang Chen and Zheng Yun had gotten along quite well and could be considered friends. Jiang Chen felt that he should do something, not for anything else, just the feeling of injustice in his chest. After a few days. When Jiang Chen got up, he discovered that Steward Zheng, who was usually slovenly and unkempt, actually didn¡¯t drink alcohol for the first time. He had even cleaned himself up. Surprisingly, from a middle-aged man with a scraggly beard, he had turned into a handsome and extraordinary middle-aged man full of maturity and melancholic temperament. No wonder he was able to win against his love competition back then. Who knew how many women he could charm with this appearance? Jiang Chen laughed and said, ¡°Elder Zheng, you really surprised me. I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Steward Zheng let out a long sigh. ¡°After being numb for so long, it was time to wake up. There are some things that have to be faced. You can escape for a while, but you can never escape your heart.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s better to live abjectly than to die honorably. Have you thought about it? If you go, you might die!¡± Jiang Chen looked straight at Steward Zheng, as if he wanted to see something on his face. Although he had already decided to lend a hand, if Steward Zheng had even the slightest bit of hesitation, he would naturally not have to do so. If even the person in question wanted to give up, why would an outsider like Jiang Chen need to make a move? A bitter smile appeared on the steward¡¯s face. There were reluctance, pain, and spite. In the end, they all turned into determination. ¡°You know about it? It¡¯s all true. As long as you ask around, you¡¯ll know. After all, I¡¯m already a joke in the sect.¡± Jiang Chen shook his head and said, ¡°Rushing for the crown and fighting for the beauty, since ancient times, how many people have been able to do it? Steward Zheng has deep feelings and is a hero of the present era.¡± ¡°Haha, Brother Jiang, some say I¡¯m stupid. Some say I¡¯m too attached to the past. Some say it¡¯s not worth it. Some say there¡¯s no need to fight. But this is the first time I¡¯ve heard someone say that to me! Rushing for the crown and fighting for the beauty? Your words make my life seem worthy!¡± Powerful magic power fluctuations suddenly surged out from Zheng Yun, turning into terrifying ripples that continuously spread out in all directions. With everything said, he soared into the sky and left coolly. ¡°Extreme glory ¡ª in the end, it will decline after reaching the peak!¡± Jiang Chen muttered to himself as he looked at the blazing figure. In Jiang Chen¡¯s eyes, Steward Zheng was like a blazing fireball, sublimating to the extreme and blazing beyond compare! However, it was also like rootless duckweed. The fiercer the fire, the closer it was to extinguishing! As expected, he was determined to die! He was prepared to fight to the death in the sect tournament. ¡°It¡¯s time to take action. Otherwise, Old Buddy Zheng will really be beaten to death.¡± The tournament would begin in 10 days, and Jiang Chen did not have much time left. He was prepared to make a move today and give Luo Cheng a taste of his own medicine. Thus, Jiang Chen went toward the South District, putting the spiritual array of the Forging Hall to the back of his agenda. Ding ding dang dang! When Jiang Chen arrived at the Forging Hall, he immediately heard the familiar sound of forging. Yes, the place looked like a blacksmith shop in the mortal world. Quite a few disciples were busy in the open space outside the Hall, beating the embryos of spirit iron. These were all the basics of forging. If one wanted to attain brilliant forging skills, one had to master the basics. Smelting spirit iron was the first step. Over the years, Jiang Chen had passed by this place countless times and was naturally very familiar with it. Similarly, he had seen the chief senior brother of the Forging Hall, Luo Cheng, many times. This was especially true in recent days. When Jiang Chen had come to exchange spirit stones, he had paid close attention to his surroundings and had made inquiries. He knew everything about the Forging Hall area like the back of his hand. For the sect tournament, Luo Cheng had been refining a spirit weapon in the rear mountain of the Hall. There was usually only Luo Cheng there, which was the perfect opportunity for Jiang Chen to carry out his plan. When Jiang Chen passed by here, no one would be suspicious about a laborer from the Firesmith Hall. After all, he passed by here every day, and everyone was already used to it. If Jiang Chen hadn¡¯t come today, it would have actually attracted more attention. When he reached a deserted place, Jiang Chen changed into a black outfit and took out a silver mask. Unique Treasure, Myriad Mask! It could transform him into anyone he had ever seen. He turned into a flame that was invisible and then used his movement technique. He floated toward the area at the back of the mountain. At this moment, Luo Cheng¡¯s upper body was bare, and he was continuously striking the spear that had already taken form. In addition, he was using his magic power to carve runes on the spear. Beside Luo Cheng, someone wearing the robes of the Forging Hall was standing respectfully. This person was Luo Cheng¡¯s trusted subordinate, his junior brother, Fang Jia. ¡°Personally go and make sure Zheng Yun¡¯s family is under our control. When the tournament starts, tell him this news. I don¡¯t believe he won¡¯t give in after hearing that.¡± As Luo Cheng forged his spirit weapon, his voice was filled with killing intent. He naturally knew that Zheng Yun wanted to challenge him. It just so happened that he also wanted to use this opportunity to kill Zheng Yun and completely eliminate all future trouble with him. Fang Jia said, ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, that Zheng Yun is already crippled. He¡¯s definitely not your match. Do we have to do this?¡± ¡°Hmph! You dare question my orders?¡± Luo Cheng coldly snorted, causing the atmosphere to turn heavy. A heavy and imposing aura was emitted, causing Fang Jia to break out in cold sweat. He quickly knelt on one knee and apologized repeatedly. ¡°Hmph, I thought so. Although that Zheng Yun is crippled, we cannot underestimate him.¡± At the mention of his opponent, Luo Cheng¡¯s expression turned grave. This person could be said to be his greatest enemy, and it wasn¡¯t unreasonable for him to be overly cautious. ¡°Alright, hurry up and get it done. If you can¡¯t handle this properly, bring your head back.¡± ¡°Yes, Senior Brother!¡± After the disciple respectfully agreed, he hurriedly left. Chapter 21 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°This person seems to be Fang Jia, Luo Cheng¡¯s trusted aide. What does he want to do in such a hurry?¡± Before he even reached the place where Luo Cheng was forging his weapon, Jiang Chen saw a hurried and anxious Fang Jia. This person was Luo Cheng¡¯s trusted subordinate. Clearly, he had just arrived from Luo Cheng¡¯s place. Jiang Chen had an idea as he watched the person leave. He simply imagined the appearance of Luo Cheng¡¯s subordinate in his mind, and the silver mask on his face began to transform like flowing water, quickly changing into a Fang Jia¡¯s face. At this moment, even the black clothes on his body had changed to be identical to what Fang Jia was wearing earlier. Nothing was off about his appearance, and even his aura was exactly the same. As long as someone¡¯s cultivation was not higher than his, they would not be able to see through his disguise. He had obtained this spirit tool from signing in, and it was perfect for an occasion like this. Jiang Chen took a round of inspection, and after finding nothing unusual, he openly walked along the mountain path towards the place where Luo Cheng was forging his own spirit tool. ¡°Why are you back? Didn¡¯t I tell you to capture Zheng Yun¡¯s family?¡± As soon as he arrived at the mountain pass, Luo Cheng¡¯s voice rang out. Clearly, he had already noticed ¡°Jiang Chen¡±. However, because of the Myriad Mask, he only thought that Fang Jia, who had just left, had returned. ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, Junior Brother just met Elder Chen outside. He asked me to bring this box over to Eldest Senior Brother.¡± As Jiang Chen spoke, he took out a black iron box from his storage bag. Engraved on it were runes that could block divine-sense inspection. This was an excuse that Jiang Chen had thought of much earlier. Elder Chen was the elder ranked second in the Forging Hall and had a close relationship with Luo Cheng. He could be considered someone on Luo Cheng¡¯s side. Not only that, the most important thing was that the day before yesterday, Jiang Chen had heard that Luo Cheng had asked the elder to help him acquire the materials to forge a weapon. As expected, Luo Cheng didn¡¯t have the slightest bit of doubt about his identity. Without even turning his head, he said, ¡°It actually arrived so quickly. Quickly bring it over!¡± ¡°Yes, Eldest Senior Brother!¡± Jiang Chen walked over slowly with the metal box in his hand. When he was less than ten feet away from Luo Cheng, he respectfully handed the metal box to him. ¡°With this piece of Star Iron, I¡¯m confident that this spirit weapon can be upgraded to another level.¡± Luo Cheng did not doubt him. He moved his hand to open the metal box¡ª Suddenly, with a loud bang, a ball of white smoke exploded out of the box, enveloping him. ¡°Bewitching Heavenly Fragrance, you scoundrel! Fang Jia, you actually dared to plot against me! Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m immune to all poisons?! ¡°Die!¡± Luo Cheng roared. In an instant, a blazing dark blue flame ignited on his body, burning away the white smoke. Then, Luo Cheng attacked explosively. It was the ultimate technique of the profound-grade high-level technique of the Escaping Fire Palm, Escaping Fire Cage. He wanted to capture Fang Jia alive and interrogate him to see why he had betrayed him. Luo Cheng angrily attacked. The blazing dark blue flames converged into a palm that was a few meters wide. It ruthlessly slammed down from above. As Luo Cheng struck out with his palm, the wind and clouds instantly changed color, and even the surrounding space was dyed dark blue. A net of fire intertwined and enveloped Jiang Chen. At this moment, Jiang Chen could not help but exclaim, ¡°Good palm technique!¡± Luo Cheng was indeed worthy of being the chief disciple of the Forging Hall and a sixth-layer Divine Sea expert. It was the strongest palm strike Jiang Chen had experienced in 30 years. But it was still not enough! After all, Jiang Chen¡¯s cultivation was a whole two levels higher than his own, and the difference between their vital true flames was like heaven and earth. This caused the total amount and quality of Jiang Chen¡¯s magic power to exceed Luo Cheng by several times. In addition, Jiang Chen had the Fiery Eyes Divine Ability. He saw through the weakness of the Fire Cage in an instant. Jiang Chen¡¯s gaze focused, and violent magic power instantly erupted. ¡°Prison Refining Palm!¡± The Northern Demon Cult¡¯s true inheritance, a profound-grade middle-level cultivation technique, Prison Refining Palm, flew out instantly. Cold black demonic flames spread out, interweaving into a skeleton magical manifestation in the air. As soon as the Black Skeleton Magical Manifestation appeared, it immediately tore a hole through the net of Nether Orchid Fire, breaking through Luo Cheng¡¯s Escaping Fire Cage. Immediately after, the skeleton magical manifestation that was much dimmer opened its huge mouth and swallowed Luo Cheng whole. ¡°With this insignificant skill, you¡¯re overestimating yourself!¡± Luo Cheng¡¯s enraged voice roared. He circulated his magic power with all his might, and the flames on his body suddenly surged. In an instant, the Black Skeleton Magical Manifestation he was inside exploded! Boom!!! An earth-shattering explosion erupted into the sky. Powerful magic powers blasted out as balls of flames flew in all directions. Coincidentally, one of the flames landed on the spirit weapon that Luo Cheng was forging. The black flame spread and burned, instantly corroding a shallow mark on it. ¡°Scoundrel! Who are you? How dare you do this to me?! Die!¡± Luo Cheng naturally noticed his spirit weapon being corroded by the black demonic flame and was instantly enraged. Although the spirit weapon wouldn¡¯t be destroyed, it would take half a month of work to reforge it. That would be too late for the tournament. An even more violent wave of magic power erupted from Luo Cheng¡¯s body. Just before, he had been furious, but now, he attacked with a deep hatred. In addition, when Jiang Chen made his move, his disguise had vanished. Luo Cheng already understood that this person had transformed into Fang Jia¡¯s appearance to deceive him. That was why he wanted to kill this demonic scoundrel now. As a result, he became even more inflamed, and an even more powerful blazing palm fiercely struck towards Jiang Chen. ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t expect Chief Luo to have such a bad temper! ¡°However, it¡¯s already quite late today. If there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll come and experience your superior skills!¡± Jiang Chen laughed and actually did not receive this palm at all. Instead, he borrowed the aftershocks of their exchange to rapidly retreat. In the blink of an eye, he had already escaped from there. The reason why he came here was to lure Luo Cheng out. ¡°Demonic scoundrel! ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?!¡± Luo Cheng¡¯s countenance quickly turned dark. A demonic scoundrel had used some unknown method to disguise himself as one of his subordinates. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the other party had underestimated his poison-resistant physique, he would have been captured by the other party! And after exchanging blows, the spirit weapon that he had spent so much effort refining for so many days was almost destroyed! All of these things added to the fury in Luo Cheng¡¯s heart. In his rage, he did not allow Jiang Chen to escape and immediately chased after him. This was the Skyfire Sect¡¯s territory after all, although he did not know how this demonic scoundrel managed to sneak in. However, as long as he caught up to him and held him back for a moment, the law enforcement team of the sect would rush over. At that time, it would be impossible for him to escape. He just kept chasing Jiang Chen, and the two of them soon left the Skyfire Sect¡¯s territory. Chapter 22 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Outside the Skyfire Sect¡¯s mountain gate, on the path down the mountain everyone passed through, Fang Jia was riding on a fire trample beast, moving speedily. He had received Luo Cheng¡¯s orders and was prepared to travel a thousand miles to capture the members of the Zheng Clan. This person¡¯s cultivation was only at the second layer of the Divine Sea, and he didn¡¯t have a flying magic tool, so he wasn¡¯t able to fly through the air for a long period. He could only borrow a fire trample beast from the Beast Control Prison. Therefore, he had only just left the sect and had not gone far. Jiang Chen flew out of the sect and unexpectedly found Fang Jia. Immediately, he had another idea. Jiang Chen landed on the ground, and a golden light flashed in his eyes. Following that, a smile appeared on his face. Then, a ripple akin to flowing water appeared all over his body, causing his entire aura to change, and he transformed into Luo Cheng¡¯s appearance. His upper body was bare, revealing muscles that were as tough as steel. He looked exactly the same as Luo Cheng. Moments later, the sound of horse hooves could be heard. Fang Jia ¡ª Luo Cheng¡¯s junior brother from the Forging Hall ¡ª was on his way to capture Zheng Yun¡¯s family and was hurriedly riding on the fire trample beast when he suddenly saw a majestic figure standing in the middle of the road ahead. He quickly pulled the reins. ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, why are you here?!¡± asked Fang Jia. Upon seeing that it was Chief Senior Brother ¡°Luo Cheng¡±, he hurriedly dismounted from his horse to greet him. ¡°I wonder if Eldest Senior Brother has any other instructions for me.¡± ¡°Nothing much. I suddenly remembered that I forgot to tell you about something, so I¡¯m waiting for you here.¡± Jiang Chen imitated Luo Cheng¡¯s tone and then took out from his storage bag a box identical to the one he had shown Luo Cheng. ¡°This box is for you to protect yourself. There is a mechanism inside, equivalent to a full-strength attack from a fifth-layer Divine Sea cultivator. Although there isn¡¯t much danger on this trip, it¡¯s better to bring it with you just to be safe. This way, we can make sure that nothing will go wrong.¡± ¡°Thank you, Eldest Senior Brother! I¡¯ll definitely keep doing my best. I won¡¯t disappoint you.¡± Fang Jia¡¯s face was filled with tears of gratitude. He had not expected Eldest Senior Brother, who had always been dignified and imposing, to actually care so much about him. He was so touched that he almost fainted. He vowed to himself that he would swear his loyalty to his eldest senior brother. ¡°Alright, Junior Brother Fang, hurry up and go.¡± Without waiting for an answer, Jiang Chen rode on a streak of fire and left. The real Luo Cheng¡¯s entire body was still wrapped in a fiery light as he chased after that familiar aura. ¡°He¡¯s actually so fast. But now that his speed has decreased, it seems like he must have used some kind of secret technique to be so fast!¡± Luo Cheng had chased after Jiang Chen all the way from the Skyfire Sect. At first, Jiang Chen¡¯s speed was not much faster than his, but just now, the fugitive¡¯s speed had suddenly increased. He almost lost his trail, but he still didn¡¯t give up. He chased in this direction for a while, and sure enough, he sensed that person¡¯s aura again. Luo Cheng felt that the demonic dao scoundrel must have used a secret technique to increase his speed because, at such a time, he had slowed down. He thought it was definitely because the time limit of the secret technique had passed. That demonic scoundrel should have fallen into a weakened state. Soon, Luo Cheng saw Junior Brother Fang Jia riding on the fire trample beast. ¡°Hmph, he actually managed to find a fire trample beast from who knows where and transformed back into Fang Jia! Does he think he can fool me like this?!¡± He sensed that the aura of the person below him was exactly the same as the aura of the person who fought with him earlier. He immediately charged downwards! The undisguised magic power fluctuations naturally woke Fang Jia up, feeling the strong sense of danger. ¡°Senior Brother Luo! You, what are you¡ª doing¡ª?¡± Seeing Luo Cheng¡¯s attack, he was so frightened that he rolled down from the fire trample beast. Fear filled his heart. He didn¡¯t know what madness had seized Luo Cheng to actually want to kill him! ¡°Hmm?¡± At this moment, even Luo Cheng felt that something was wrong. The person in front of him was actually such a coward. He was like a completely different person from the person who had brazenly attacked him earlier. ¡°Are you really Junior Brother Fang Jia?¡± Luo Cheng didn¡¯t dare to confirm, but the other party¡¯s performance caused doubt to arise in his heart. Come to think of it, in such a short period of time, that demonic scoundrel would definitely not be able to obtain a fire trample beast, a beast unique to the Skyfire Sect. Furthermore, from the looks of it, there were no signs of battle on his body. Luo Cheng thought that perhaps he had really gone in the wrong direction and had mistaken Fang Jia for that demonic scoundrel. ¡°Senior Brother Luo, why¡­ are you here again? Is there¡­ something else you need to tell me?!¡± When Fang Jia saw that Luo Cheng¡¯s movements had slowed down, as if he had mistaken him for someone else, he could not help but carefully speak. ¡°Again? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, didn¡¯t you just give me a box? We just met a moment ago.¡± Fang Jia hurriedly took out the metal box from his storage bag and was about to pass it to Luo Cheng. ¡°Wait! Stop!¡± Little did Fang Jia know that Luo Cheng had been plotted against by this box. Although he hadn¡¯t suffered any injuries due to his physique, when Luo Cheng saw this box, he suddenly thought of that demonic scoundrel. ¡°Ah!¡± However, at this moment, the metal box suddenly exploded, and a jet-black light flew out from within, heading straight for Luo Cheng¡¯s face. ¡°You scoundrel! How dare you do me dirty like this?!¡± Luo Cheng was enraged, and the flames of his Nether Orchid Fire shot out. Who did this demonic scoundrel think he was to have humiliated him again and again? His actions deserved death! Luo Cheng attacked in anger, and in his rage, vigorous flames covered half the sky. His vital true fire and nether earth fire suddenly exploded. He used the powerful Escaping Fire Palm to instantly destroy the black light. Then, it engulfed Junior Brother Fang Jia and the fire trample beast; getting rid of them now would be as easy as burning rotten wood. The Escaping Fire Palm instantly swept up the ¡°demonic scoundrel¡±. Luo Cheng clearly did not expect it to turn out like this. Despite having some doubts, he had still attacked because he was angry. At this moment, he could no longer retreat. ¡°Ah, Senior Brother Luo¡­ you¡¯re¡­ too vicious¡ª¡± Boom! Blazing flames engulfed Fang Jia. Before he could finish his sentence, all the defensive magic power in his body was easily torn apart. He was burned to ashes by the raging flames. ¡°Mm? So weak? He really died!¡± At this moment, how could Luo Cheng not know that he had fallen into the trap of that demonic scoundrel? ¡°You bastard! You deserve to die! I¡¯ll kill you!¡± That person¡¯s cultivation was on the same level as his, so it was impossible for his opponent to be killed so easily. That was why it was clear that he had killed the wrong person, killing the real Junior Brother Fang. At the same time, flames lit up. Following this, numerous law-enforcement disciples dressed in black robes landed near Luo Cheng. Their leader was Lu Qingtian of the Law Enforcement Hall, the Chief Senior Brother of this term¡¯s inner sect disciples. Lu Qingtian cupped his fists and asked, ¡°Senior Brother Luo, what happened? Why did you kill Junior Brother Fang Jia?¡± Demonic qi fluctuations were detected in the sect, and the aftermath of Luo Cheng¡¯s battle with the demonic dao scoundrel was also witnessed by many people. With another demonic cultivator infiltrating the sect, the Law Enforcement Hall had immediately made their move, and several groups of law-enforcement disciples moved out. The team led by Lu Qingtian arrived first because they were closer. Who would have thought that they would actually see Luo Cheng brazenly attack from afar, directly killing Fang Jia from the Forging Hall? ¡°Hmph, that demonic scoundrel disguised himself as Junior Brother Fang Jia. I was fooled by that evil scoundrel.¡± Luo Cheng glanced at Lu Qingtian, somewhat annoyed. The two of them were not from the same generation. Lu Qingtian was one generation younger, but his talent was too high, and his cultivation had improved by leaps and bounds. Thus, he was able to catch up and become Luo Cheng¡¯s equal. Chapter 23 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lu Qingtian raised his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t expect Luo Cheng to not give him face in public. His tone was gentle, and his immortal-like face had his usual faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe Senior Brother, but the sect¡¯s rules are such. So, Senior Brother Luo, please follow this junior brother to the Law Enforcement Hall and explain to us there in detail.¡± Lu Qingtian didn¡¯t seem to believe Luo Cheng. Although he didn¡¯t show it on his face, his words revealed it. His words carried a different meaning. He was suspicious of Luo Cheng. When Lu Qingtian and the others arrived, they did not discover any demonic scoundrel. What they did witness, however, was Luo Cheng brazenly killing another person. In addition, they already had a messy relationship with each other. Naturally, he had to handle this as impartially as possible. ¡°Hmph, the entire sect has practically become a sieve! All sorts of demonic bastards can get in!¡± Soon, Luo Cheng¡¯s expression turned completely gloomy. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for your sudden arrival, I would have already caught up to that demonic scoundrel. I will definitely report your incompetence to the sect master.¡± Luo Cheng coldly snorted and flung his sleeves, no longer paying attention to Lu Qingtian and the others. After which, flames rose from Luo Cheng¡¯s body as he transformed into a fire dragon and flew far away. ¡°Senior Brother Lu, this person is too rude. He doesn¡¯t respect you at all!¡± ¡°Senior brother Lu, you¡¯re the inner sect¡¯s chief senior brother. That Luo Cheng can only rely on the fact that he has cultivated for a long time. Otherwise, how could he have his current cultivation? He¡¯s simply not even worthy to carry Senior Brother Lu¡¯s shoes.¡± The law-enforcement disciples under him spoke out one after another, each and every one of them filled with righteous indignation. Clearly, Luo Cheng¡¯s actions earlier had caused them to lose face. As law-enforcement disciples, they had never been looked down upon like this in the sect. Which ordinary disciple would not be like a mouse seeing a cat when running into them? Even many sect deacons and disciples of the previous generation were polite to them. They had never been treated like this before! ¡°Hmph, how could you all speak so rudely of Senior Brother Luo? He¡¯s the chief disciple of the Forging Hall, and his cultivation base is profound. We should respect him.¡± As he spoke, Lu Qingtian was as impartial, calm, and cool as ever. However, those who were familiar with him knew that the angrier he was, the more indifferent he presented himself. ¡°Alright, since we can¡¯t get through to Senior Brother Luo for the time being, let us patrol the nearby area.¡± Then, Lu Qingtian took the lead and flew down the mountain. He was leading the team in front, so naturally, no one saw it, but an obscure coldness had flashed in his eyes. After everyone left, Jiang Chen¡¯s figure slowly appeared. ¡°Heh heh, I didn¡¯t expect to see such a good show. The internal fighting within the Skyfire Sect is fierce. All sorts of open and hidden struggles can be seen from this.¡± Jiang Chen thought of a saying in the cultivation world. Cultivation was like crossing a single wooden bridge. When 10 million people fought to cross it, there were bound to be many shattered bodies. Others might not have seen it, but he had noticed the faint killing intent exuding from the graceful and indifferent Eldest Senior Brother of the Skyfire Sect, Lu Qingtian. This guy was quite a character. Jiang Chen would definitely pay more attention to him in the future. As for Luo Cheng¡­ Jiang Chen turned his head to look in the direction where Luo Cheng had departed as a smile appeared on his face. This guy, on the other hand, had already been schemed against. Although this guy had poison immunity, there were still many ways to poison someone. He believed that when the time came, it would definitely come as a huge shock to everyone. ¡°Sign in here.¡± Jiang Chen signed in with his mind. [Congratulations to Host for signing in by the Ancient Phoenix Tree. Reward: High-level earth-grade divine cultivation technique, Divine Convergence Technique.] ¡°High-level earth-grade divine cultivation technique!¡± Jiang Chen¡¯s eyes narrowed. Cultivation techniques were divided into the grades heaven, earth, profound, and yellow. He had signed for 30 years and had obtained quite a number of cultivation techniques, but the highest had only been profound-grade high-level. In the entire Skyfire Sect, only Divine Sea-realm disciples could practice profound-grade cultivation techniques. There were only about a hundred people in the entire sect that fit this requirement. This was the first time he had gotten an earth-grade cultivation technique. As for the Divine Convergence Technique, not only was it earth-grade, it was also high-level. It was only a step away from becoming a heaven-grade divine cultivation technique. After reaching the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm, Jiang Chen could already feel that his cultivation had been growing extremely slowly. It was almost impossible to grow as fast as before. This was because, at this stage of cultivation, cultivators had to start nurturing their ¡°divinity¡±. Only by nurturing the ¡°divinity¡± in one¡¯s body to the extreme could one use a powerful divinity to break open the spirit sea and set up a golden bridge at the ninth layer of the Divine Sea. ¡°Divinity¡± was similar to divine consciousness, but it completely exceeded the scope of divine consciousness. Its greatest use was causing a qualitative change in magic power when it was integrated into it. The greatest barrier between the Divine Sea realm and the Golden Bridge realm was the condensation of this divinity in one¡¯s body. Once one condensed a divinity and nurtured it to a sufficiently powerful state, he could advance to the Golden Bridge realm. Once one¡¯s cultivation reached the Golden Bridge realm, one could be considered one of the few top experts in the Skyfire Sect. It was not an easy task to condense a divinity. This had nothing to do with talent. It all depended on comprehension and epiphanies. This was not something that others could help with. This was also the reason why this trial stumped countless heroic elites. And at this time, a cultivation technique appeared in Jiang Chen¡¯s mind, a cultivation technique that could condense divinity. ¡°Since a high-level earth-grade cultivation technique can already form an illusionary ¡®divinity¡¯, then a heaven-grade divine cultivation technique should also have this function.¡± Jiang Chen quickly realized that the heaven-grade divine cultivation technique passed down in the sect had always been passed down in the sect master¡¯s faction. The other factions had probably never seen the true face of this cultivation technique. Thus, as long as the sect master¡¯s bloodline firmly grasped this secret, then naturally no one would be able to seize control of the sect from them. He originally wanted to advance to the Golden Bridge realm, but he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to have that critical comprehension. However, now that he had obtained the Divine Convergence Technique, as long as he followed the prescribed order and worked hard, it wouldn¡¯t take long for him to advance to the Golden Bridge realm and become a high-level cultivator. By now, the various essential and key points of the Divine Convergence Technique were all laid out in Jiang Chen¡¯s mind. Due to the system¡¯s infusion, he directly mastered the first level. At this moment, the illusionary image of the sun that seemed eternal above his spirit sea also underwent a strange change as a wisp of divine intent poured into it. It seemed to have become a little more solid than before. The most direct manifestation of this was that the power of the Authentic Solar Fire, which was radiating down and illuminating his spirit sea, had become even more dazzling. Within his spirit sea, the thick golden-red magic power started to turn golden and lose its redness under the illumination of the Authentic Solar Fire. Inside Jiang Chen¡¯s body, his divinity began to slowly strengthen. Chapter 24 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Skyfire Sect¡¯s tournament that happened once every 50 years began in full swing. Dozens of arenas had been erected on the central square of the sect. Apart from his daily tasks and cultivation, Jiang Chen also took advantage of his break to visit the arena for the tournament. He would watch the tournament discreetly and treated it as a way of killing time. With his Fiery Eyes, he didn¡¯t need to get too close to see the entire arena. On one of the rings, two eighth-stage Dao Initiation disciples were fighting. One of them was a disciple of the Forging Hall, while the other was a disciple of the Alchemy Hall. The two of them were considered pretty good amongst the Skyfire Sect¡¯s disciples. It represented the standard of most ordinary disciples! One of them held a longsword with three layers of restrictions in his hands. The other held an iron pestle used for concocting medicine. They continuously exchanged blows. Spiritual energy shot out, and the aftershocks from the collisions of flames exploded in all directions. However, it was blocked by the protection array outside the ring. Cheers came from below the ring. ¡°Senior Brother Wang¡¯s technique, Inferno Prairie Fire, is really at peak strength! With a swing of his sword, he can cause wildfire to fill the sky.¡± ¡°Senior Brother Tian isn¡¯t bad either. The iron pestle in his hand is dancing in an airtight manner. It¡¯s clumsy but big, and there is even a faint flame surging on it. It¡¯s clear that he is preparing to use some ultimate move!¡± On the spectator stand surrounding the ring, many deacons and elders nodded their heads slightly, while the disciples below the stage continued cheering. Only Jiang Chen, who wasn¡¯t too far away, shook his head slightly. With his current cultivation at the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm and the ability of the Fiery Eyes, the moves and techniques of these two people seemed incomparably clumsy and filled with flaws. They were not much better than a child¡¯s sword dance. Both of them were using yellow-grade cultivation techniques, and they had not reached mastery yet. Compared to the profound-grade mastered cultivation techniques he possessed, it would not be an exaggeration to call them trash. Jiang Chen lost interest after a short while. He turned to look at the other two inner court disciples whose cultivation had reached the Divine Sea realm. One of them was Xu Xin from the Alchemy Hall. At this time, Xu Xin¡¯s cultivation was already at the third layer of the Divine Sea realm. For this tournament, she had even diligently cultivated for a period of time. Xu Xin¡¯s talent was not bad to begin with, but she had spent most of her time and effort on pill refining. Although her cultivation progress was not slow, she was still just gradually pulling away from the first tier. However, although Xu Xin had a bit of fame, her combat experience seemed to be very poor. She was quickly beaten back by her opponent, a third-layer Divine Sea disciple. Seeing that she couldn¡¯t last much longer, she had no choice but to admit defeat. ¡°This silly girl, she had clearly been dealt good cards but still got beaten to a pulp!¡± Jiang Chen saw through Xu Xin with a single glance. Not only did this woman¡¯s vital spirit fire surpass her opponent¡¯s, but the quality of her cultivation technique was also much better. Even the equipment she wore were magic tools. It could be said that other than their cultivation realms being the same, Xu Xin was stronger from head to toe. But the current situation was that Xu Xin was almost completely beaten up. ¡°Did you see that? This is an undisguised example! The most important thing for us cultivators is our own cultivation and combat techniques!¡± ¡°All of them are like this. They are clearly stronger than the other party, yet they still wind up losing. A waste of talent and equipment,¡± said Elder Zhu as he laughed. On the spectator stand, this elder from the Forging Hall rubbed his beard and provocatively glanced at Elder Hao who was sitting not far away. On the stage, the disciple fighting with Xu Xin was Elder Zhu¡¯s disciple. The two elders had always been at odds with each other. Later, one of them had entered the Alchemy Hall, while the other had entered the Forging Hall. Even today, they still didn¡¯t like each other and would mock the other whenever they had the chance. Who would have thought that their disciples would bump into each other today? ¡°Hmph! My disciple is just going up to broaden her horizons. What has fighting skills got to do with us alchemists?¡± Elder Hao snorted and retorted. It was a fact that the disciples of the Alchemy Hall were bad at fighting. He had no way to refute it. Elder Zhu chuckled and did not continue speaking. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t Elder Hao, who had a lot of pride, fight him to the death in public? Elder Hao was just being stubborn. The nervousness on his face right now was obvious, so how could he say that he didn¡¯t care? ¡°She clearly has the same cultivation level as me, but why can¡¯t I beat her? How did this happen?¡± Xu Xin carefully dealt with the opponent¡¯s attack and ate a few Qi Recovery Pills in between her attacks. Medicinal pills were also a part of a cultivator¡¯s strength. As long as they were not prohibited ones, the participants were allowed to take them during the sect tournament battles. However, each person could only bring 10 medicinal pills at most. Now, the medicinal pill Xu Xin consumed was already the eighth one she had brought with her. In other words, she was at the end of her rope. ¡°Hmph, am I going to fail this time?¡± The two fought for a while longer. The magic power that Xu Xin had just recovered was almost exhausted again. At this time, Xu Xin¡¯s mind recalled the time when she was refining pills. She had also continuously failed. It was just like when she was refining pills. Although it did not seem difficult, in reality, she was constantly meeting with a wall. ¡°The trick to alchemy is that you must remember to have doubts. Any method is just a reference, so make sure you have comprehended it wholeheartedly first. Only by walking your own path can you walk further.¡± At this moment, she had recalled the words of the mysterious alchemist grandmaster. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind! ¡°I get it now. There¡¯s actually no difference between fighting and refining pills. Although combat moves and cultivation techniques are important, you can¡¯t completely adhere to them. Otherwise, your opponent doesn¡¯t even need to think twice to know which move you¡¯re going to use and how you¡¯re going to use it!¡± Xu Xin had had an epiphany. At this moment, she no longer paid attention to her opponent. She only had eyes for the techniques that she had learned. At this moment, when her opponent attacked, she subconsciously used Inferno Prairie Fire. The move this time was far beyond the opponent¡¯s expectations. Furthermore, it was almost flawless, making it very difficult for that disciple to deal with. After this move, Xu Xin did not continue to use the next expected move ¡ª Flurry Wild Fire. Instead, she struck out with the Raging Fire Palm. The large hand formed by flames instantly stunned the opponent. Taking advantage of this short moment, Xu Xin actually attacked again and again, continuously exceeding the opponent¡¯s expectations, completely disrupting the opponent¡¯s rhythm. In an instant, her opponent was put in a disadvantageous position. In the end, Xu Xin fiercely struck her opponent with a soaring flame, obtaining victory. Chapter 25 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Xin had won! Who knew that Xu Xin, who had been at a disadvantage, would eventually win?! Not only did the surrounding disciples not expect this, but even the deacons and elders on the spectator stands were shocked. Before this, many of them had thought that the winner would definitely be the disciple from the Forging Hall. After all, although Xu Xin¡¯s cultivation level was not bad, her battle experience was too poor. Her moves and magic spells were very rusty, as if she had never fought with anyone before. If not for her good equipment and pills, she would have been defeated long ago. However, they did not expect that in the blink of an eye, as if Xu Xin had suddenly comprehended the Dao, the power of her techniques and moves would increase exponentially, nor did they expect that she would be able to defeat her opponent easily. ¡°Haha, look, whose disciple won, and whose disciple lost?¡± Xu Xin had defeated her opponent and won. Elder Hao¡¯s previously bitter face immediately revealed a brilliant smile. His head snapped towards Elder Zhu from the Forging Hall. Elder Zhu said indignantly, ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s just blind luck. If they were to really rely on their true capabilities, your disciple would have lost long ago.¡± Elder Hao agreed, ¡°Reasonable, reasonable. But my disciple won.¡± Elder Zhu¡¯s expression did not look too good. He was still unyielding, unwilling to lower his head. ¡°Hmph, your disciple only won because she was lucky. If it was a life and death battle, she would have died long ago.¡± Elder Hao continued to say with a face that was asking to be punched, ¡°Reasonable, reasonable, but my disciple still won.¡± ¡°You! You!¡± It was now extremely clear to Elder Zhu that Elder Hao was mocking him. Elder Hao immediately gave chase and attacked fiercely, showing no intention of letting Elder Zhu off. ¡°What you you? You can¡¯t even speak coherently? Now that my disciple was the one who ended up winning, don¡¯t you remember what you said before?!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a spirit tool? I¡¯ll give it to you later!¡± Elder Zhu said with a pained expression. A spirit tool above the 12th layer of restrictions was not cheap. Having to give it away was painful. However, he could not bring himself to regret it in front of everyone. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s for the best. Elder Zhu is a man of his word and will definitely not go back on it. I believe in Elder Zhu¡¯s character.¡± Elder Hao had a smile on his face. This was another spirit tool that he had won for his disciple. It was really not bad. He hadn¡¯t expected that his disciple, who had never had any actual combat experience, would actually have such talent. She actually had an epiphany on the stage. This disciple had brought him yet another surprise. He had really taken in a good disciple. Elder Hao could only feel a sense of exaltation, and his heart was extremely comfortable. After a brief interlude, all the elders looked towards the stage below. Not long after, the first day of the Skyfire Sect Tournament was already entering its final match! At this moment, there was a sea of people surrounding a ring at the center. Finally, there was a heavyweight battle. Not only were there hundreds of inner sect disciples that gathered to watch the battle, even the Skyfire Sect¡¯s sect master, Chi Tianfeng, and the nine first elders cast their gazes over. The reason was none other than the fact that the person fighting in the ring was Lu Qingtian, who was currently ranked first in the Skyfire Sect¡¯s inner sect! Lu Qingtian was extremely talented. At only the age of 47, he had already stepped into the sixth layer of the Divine Sea. There were even rumors that he was about to step into the Divine Sea upper tier! In the path of cultivation, one had to sail against the current. If one did not advance, one would retreat. In this tournament, anyone below the Golden Bridge realm and below the age of 100 could participate. As for Lu Qingtian, he wasn¡¯t the youngest among all the participants, but he definitely had the highest cultivation base. It was rumored that he had also awakened a divine ability and was believed to have heaven-bestowed talent. It was almost certain that he would advance to the Golden Bridge realm in the future. He was ranked fifth on the Soaring Dragon Rankings and was also the only person from the Skyfire Sect in the top 10. He was fully deserving of his title as a paragon! He stood on the stage, dressed in a dazzling black robe that accentuated his tall and slender figure. His long black hair fluttered in the wind, and his appearance was cold. His temperament was extraordinary, and his eyes were filled with superiority. His opponent was Feng Changqing from the Law Enforcement Hall, the grandson of the Alchemy Hall¡¯s Second Elder, Feng Ruhai. Now that so many years had passed, Feng Changqing now had a fifth-layer Divine Sea cultivation. This battle was between two dazzling disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall. Feng Changqing held a longsword in one hand and pointed it diagonally towards the sky. His moon-white magic robe fluttered in the wind as if he was a graceful prince from the mortal world. He was indeed a level lower than Lu Qingtian. Although it was only the difference of a single layer, the difference in battle prowess would be far greater. Feng Changqing had no hope at all in this battle. ¡°Senior Brother Lu, please be lenient when we fight later, and save this junior brother some face. Don¡¯t let Junior Brother lose too badly,¡± said Feng Changqing with a bitter smile while cupping his hands. He had defeated many opponents along the way but hadn¡¯t expected to meet Lu Qingtian in the last match. If it wasn¡¯t to save face, he would have quickly admitted defeat. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will suppress my cultivation to the fifth layer of the Divine Sea. I won¡¯t use my higher realm to suppress you,¡± Lu Qingtian said gently. His aura was then visibly restrained. He had suppressed his cultivation to the same level as Feng Changqing¡¯s. ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± ¡°Senior Brother, you¡¯re so righteous. I¡¯m going to attack now. I hope to learn from you!¡± A sharp look flashed across Feng Changqing¡¯s eyes. He instantly unsheathed his sword. A blue flame immediately wrapped around his long saber as it slashed at Lu Qingtian! Sword beams flashed, and flames burned. Rumble! Between the heavens and the earth, the faint sound of endless waves could be heard! Feng Changqing had actually managed to turn some of his fire-element power into charming water element. ¡°Senior Brother Feng Changqing, is he about to reach the state of water and fire fusion? ¡°Not yet, but he will soon!¡± Below the stage, cries of surprise immediately rang out. Clearly, there were some disciples who understood the meaning behind Feng Changqing¡¯s move. ¡°Hmm? This sword strike is so-so.¡± Lu Qingtian raised his eyebrows as he extended his hand! An ordinary-looking hand! Then, he lightly threw a palm towards Feng Changqing. Boom! This palm strike caused the sky to change color! First, there was the sound of waves crashing against the shore! Immediately after, a blazing flame rushed out of Lu Qingtian¡¯s palm. It seemed to have turned into a 100-meter-long river with surging waves of flame! It swept towards Feng Changqing¡¯s sword light! Just this palm alone demonstrated the difference between the two! One was close to reaching it, while the other, clearly, already possessed quite a high attainment. Bang!!! Instantly, Feng Changqing¡¯s sword light was inundated by this long river of flames and was quickly swept away. As for Feng Changqing himself, it was as if he had been struck by a great wave, instantly flying out and falling onto the arena floor. Defeating the enemy with just one strike! All of a sudden, the arena fell silent. Everyone looked at Lu Qingtian in shock. Unexpectedly, after Lu Qingtian suppressed his cultivation to the same level as Feng Changqing¡¯s, he still defeated him so easily, just like he had done so in previous matches. With an expression that hadn¡¯t changed, Lu Qingtian stood tall and looked at Feng Changqing, who had fallen outside the ring with a red face. ¡°I was too excited and didn¡¯t hold back. I hope Junior Brother will forgive me.¡± Chapter 26 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°He¡¯s already so powerful! He really is a formidable rival!¡± In a corner of the arena, Luo Cheng, who was holding a long spear and revealing a bare chest, looked at Lu Qingtian with a frown. This guy really deserved to be Luo Cheng¡¯s formidable rival! His talent was outstanding; his cultivation was shocking, and his understanding of the power of fire had reached such a level. To be able to be called the inner sect¡¯s chief disciple, he indeed had true ability. Lu Qingtian was not an ordinary inner sect disciple. His background was also extraordinary, and he had a considerable force behind him. Therefore, Luo Cheng knew that many of his underhanded methods could not be used. If they met tomorrow, it would be a tough battle. ¡°Couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow from me!¡± Jiang Chen retracted his Fiery Eyes Divine Ability and shook his head as he spat out these four words. This so-called chief disciple of the inner sect, Lu Qingtian, was nothing much. Be it in cultivation strength, cultivation realm, or basically everything. In Jiang Chen¡¯s eyes, Lu Qingtian was indeed too weak to withstand a single blow from him. This was not Jiang Chen¡¯s ego inflating, but his objective judgment. Lu Qingtian¡¯s attack just now might have seemed to be clean and efficient, but in fact, he had already secretly circulated his magic power from the beginning and made his preparations before the attack. That was why he was able to defeat Feng Changqing so easily. Lu Qingtian would have still won regardless, but it would not have been that easy. At this moment, the difference in strength between Jiang Chen and Lu Qingtian was certain. Putting aside the difference in their cultivation levels, just with Jiang Chen¡¯s current mastery in divinity cultivation, he was able to launch magic spells at the same level as Lu Qingtian and maybe even higher. He could also activate them at any time and without any preparation. Naturally, he was far better than Lu Qingtian. That was why Jiang Chen said he couldn¡¯t withstand a single blow. There was no exaggeration. It was the truth. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop bothering about them. Instead, I¡¯ll keep signing in, cultivate, and become stronger!¡± Jiang Chen retracted his thoughts and stood up. He had yet to sign at the central courtyard. Since he had made it today, he was prepared to sign in here. Now that so many people had gathered, he wondered what good things could he get from signing in? System, sign in here! Jiang Chen thought to himself. [Congratulations to Host for signing in at the central courtyard. You have obtained the heaven-grade secret technique ¡°Battle Saint Art¡±!] ¡°Heaven-grade!¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually a heaven-grade secret technique!¡± Jiang Chen¡¯s pupils contracted. Secret techniques were different from cultivation techniques. Secret techniques couldn¡¯t raise one¡¯s cultivation realm, but they often possessed extremely powerful and miraculous abilities, able to greatly increase one¡¯s combat strength. He had once heard that in the Skyfire Sect, there was a secret technique called the Gentle Wind. By using the wind to fuel one¡¯s fire, it could increase the power of fire techniques by several times. And that secret technique was only earth-grade. In the entire Skyfire Sect, it was uncertain whether there were even heaven-grade secret techniques. All these years, Jiang Chen had not obtained many cultivation techniques from signing in. He had also signed in many times in the Scripture Holding Depository. However, as the number of times increased, it became obvious that his gains were getting worse and worse. Later on, he did not really sign in anymore. All these years, he had never even seen a single heaven-grade cultivation technique. As for secret techniques, which were rarer than cultivation techniques, he had never even heard of them! He really did not expect to suddenly obtain a secret technique today! And on top of that a heaven-grade one! Jiang Chen was at a loss for words. After severing his distracting thoughts, Jiang Chen focused on the heaven-grade secret technique Battle Saint Art that he had instilled into his mind. Heaven-grade secret technique, Battle Saint Art! Soon, the more Jiang Chen understood, the more shocked he became. ¡°As expected of a heaven-grade secret technique! There are a total of nine levels, and with every increase in level, it can increase one¡¯s battle prowess by a hundred percent. With the completion of the nine levels, it can increase one¡¯s combat strength by nine hundred percent. ¡°What¡¯s even more frightening is that no matter what realm one is at, this increase will still be effective. ¡°It¡¯s indeed worthy of being called the Battle Saint Art! This is specially prepared for battles beyond one¡¯s level.¡± The system¡¯s infusion allowed Jiang Chen to immediately master the first level of the Battle Saint Art. It could be said that even as his cultivation base did not change at all, his actual combat strength had already doubled. If he were to fight his previous self now, he was confident that he could end the battle within 30 moves. His strength had increased by leaps and bounds! Even with Jiang Chen¡¯s carefree mental state, he could not help but feel unusually happy at this time. ¡°I should go back now. I should be able to see Steward Zheng tomorrow.¡± Jiang Chen left. Tomorrow was the grand finals of the tournament. If Zheng Yun still did not make a move, there would be no more chances for him to get revenge. Therefore, he would definitely come tomorrow. At night, the bright moon hung high in the sky. Even the usually scorching-hot Skyfire Sect mountain gate gradually chilled. In a certain building in North District. Zheng Yun was sitting opposite an elder. This old man wore a scarlet red robe and was actually an elder of the sect. However, from the type of robe, this person should also be an elder who was cultivating in seclusion. He was Steward Zheng Yun¡¯s master, Li Tong. He had been an elder of the Forging Hall, but now, he had already been stripped of his position. That was why he had secluded himself in the North District to cultivate, as if he were a hidden gem of the sect. ¡°Yun¡¯er, it¡¯s been so many years. Are you still unable to let go?¡± Li Tong¡¯s words were both regretful and admonishing. He had watched Zheng Yun grow up, so their relationship was naturally deep. He also did not wish to see his disciple like this. But even with his status back then, there were some unspoken rules that could not be violated. At this moment, he felt even more ashamed. He actually wanted to urge his disciple to stop¡­ ¡°Master, are you still going to stop me? Even now?¡± Zheng Yun looked at the old man with a determined gaze. His eyes made his choice clear. ¡°Alas, I¡¯ve come to advise you because I don¡¯t want you to throw your life away in vain. After so many years, the gap between your cultivation and Luo Cheng¡¯s has grown wider. If you were to go, I¡¯m afraid that not only would it be useless, you would even die for nothing!¡± Li Tong advised. At this moment, it was unknown if he didn¡¯t want Zheng Yun to die or if he didn¡¯t want Zheng Yun to become a stumbling block in Luo Cheng¡¯s path. Or perhaps it was both. Li Tong also had his own clan and clan members. Therefore, most of the time, when it came to considering matters, he had to be more comprehensive and consider all aspects. The powers behind Luo Cheng found him and asked him to change Zheng Yun¡¯s mind. ¡°Master, you don¡¯t have to persuade me anymore. I¡¯ve long forgotten about life and death. If I can¡¯t avenge Wan¡¯er, what¡¯s the point of living?¡± Zheng Yun¡¯s tone became increasingly firm and unwavering as a rock. After he finished speaking, he bowed respectfully to Li Tong and left without looking back. ¡°Aye¡­¡± Looking at Zheng Yun¡¯s back, Li Tong wanted to make him stay several times, but in the end, he could only let out a long sigh helplessly. Chapter 27 - Challenge Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The sun rose, and its golden light shone down, illuminating the mountains and lands around Flame Mountain. In the blink of an eye, the final day of the tournament had arrived. The sky had just brightened when the disciples of the sect arrived at the central square early in the morning. There was only one arena in the central square today. At this time, the side of the ring was already filled with disciples who came to watch the tournament. Today would be the last day of the sect tournament, and the 10 disciples who had advanced yesterday would be competing for the final round here. ¡°Have you heard? There¡¯s going to be a good show today. Heh heh, this is the biggest event in the sect in the last few decades.¡± ¡°What show? Why don¡¯t I know about it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spread it. I heard it from someone else. Do you still remember that senior brother, Zheng Yun, from the Forging Hall?¡± ¡°Of course, I remember. Senior Brother Zheng was kind back then. Many people in the sect received his help. How could I not remember him? It¡¯s just a pity.¡± ¡°Today, Senior Brother Zheng wishes to challenge Senior Brother Luo to settle the matter of the past.¡± ¡°Ah, what? You mean that incident back then?!¡± Below the ring, a few inner sect disciples of the older generation were whispering amongst themselves. Thinking about what was about to happen, their initial shock turned into pity. This news was simply too explosive. Back then, the matter between Zheng Yun and Luo Cheng had caused an uproar and created a huge commotion within the sect. These were all disciples of the same generation as Zheng Yun. Therefore, although many didn¡¯t know the details, pretty much everyone knew about this matter. Back then, Zheng Yun had been suppressed, and in the end, he had left the Forging Hall in fury and was forced to work in the Firesmith Hall. From a genius disciple to a firesmith steward, it was truly a pity. As time passed, they had long forgotten about what had happened back then. However, they did not expect to hear this news today. ¡°Stop talking! Senior Brother Luo is here!¡± It was unknown who said this, but suddenly, all the disciples who were whispering to each other fell into silence. They looked back. At the edge of the courtyard, Luo Cheng walked over with a dark expression. He was still dressed in his trademark attire. His upper body was bare, exposing his ripped muscles. In his right hand was an 18-foot-long spear. He exuded a cold and forbidding aura. It was clearly rather hot today, but everyone could not help but feel a chill in their hearts. Terrifying! The few inner sect disciples who had been discussing that matter were glared at by Luo Cheng and instantly felt a tyrannical and imposing aura linger in their hearts. For no reason, they felt as if their lives were no longer in their control. It was horrifying. Was this the terrifying might of the top disciples in the sect? It was just a glance, but it was already so scary. ¡°Senior Brother Lu! Senior Brother Lu!¡± At this moment, a crisp cheer sounded from the crowd. Quite a number of female disciples in the sect actually began to compete over who could cheer louder. Lu Qingtian. This chief disciple of the Skyfire Sect¡¯s inner sect, ranked fifth on the Soaring Dragon Rankings and a sixth-layer Divine Sea cultivator, had arrived. He still looked the same as yesterday. He was elegant and handsome, making people feel like they were bathing in the spring breeze. He was like a lady killer, attracting countless female disciples to cheer for him. His arrival was like a sharp sword that instantly pierced through the terrifying pressure that Luo Cheng had created. The terrifying atmosphere around the arena instantly lightened. The light radiating from the two of them was so bright that the other eight competitors were completely disregarded by everyone, not having the slightest bit of presence. As expected, the winner of this competition would be between the two of them. Elder Lin, who was wearing a red robe, was the referee of the sect tournament. His refined voice could reach the entire courtyard through his magic power. ¡°Very good. The victors from yesterday are all on the stage. We will have the last match of the sect tournament today. ¡°It¡¯s still the same old rules. Before the start of the tournament, is there anyone who still has doubts about their strength? If there is, then come up and challenge them. If there isn¡¯t, then the final battle will begin immediately.¡± This was also a rule of the sect. The winners of yesterday¡¯s matches could still be challenged today. If the challengers won, then they would be able to take their opponents¡¯ places and participate in today¡¯s final matches. Of course, this was usually just a formality. Since these people could stand here, they had naturally already defeated countless opponents in the preliminaries, and their strength simply could not be underestimated. Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to challenge them. ¡°Is there anyone who wishes to challenge them? I will say this one last time. If there is no one who wishes to challenge, then we will not waste any more time. We will immediately begin the final phase of the tournament.¡± As expected, after Elder Lin said that, the entire venue was silent, and no one dared to step out. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get ready then. The final mat¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± At this moment, a clear, masculine voice rang out. Hearing this voice, Luo Cheng¡¯s face instantly darkened. This unchanging face could not help but frown now. He stared intently toward the west! There, a figure was already standing there. He was tall and slender. In the golden radiance of the sun, he exuded a sacred feeling. ¡°Wait!¡± Zheng Yun slowly advanced. The long sword in his hand was casually dragged along the ground. It scraped against the hard ground, causing sparks to fly. Along the way, he exuded an indescribable aura. Wherever he passed, the crowd would subconsciously open up a path. ¡°Senior Brother Zheng? You¡¯re here!¡± ¡°Senior Brother Zheng!¡± It was unknown which senior disciple took the lead to shout. Following that, many disciples of the same generation as Zheng Yun also shouted. Luo Cheng¡¯s countenance grew even darker. Even Lu Qingtian couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrows. It was only today that he realized that there was actually someone whose reputation amongst the sect disciples was something even he could not compare to. However, he did not treat Zheng Yun as his rival. It was very clear that Zheng Yun¡¯s target and reason for coming out today was Luo Cheng. Lu Qingtian had even somewhat contributed to an unscathed Zheng Yun¡¯s appearance today. Since Luo Cheng was competing against him, he would naturally have to bear the bitter consequences! As for Zheng Yun, he was someone who was about to die. How was someone like this worthy of Lu Qingtian¡¯s attention? Chapter 28 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°So this is Senior Brother Zheng Yun. It¡¯s a pity that his cultivation is one level lower than Senior Brother Luo¡¯s.¡± ¡°A fifth-layer Divine Sea cultivator against a sixth-layer one¡­ He has no chance of winning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The difference in levels is too great. Senior Brother Luo reached the sixth layer of the Divine Sea a long time ago and is almost done with his second transformation. In the entire sect, apart from Lu Qingtian, no one can compare to him.¡± At that moment, the aura emanating from Zheng Yun¡¯s body gave away his cultivation level to the surrounding disciples. Fifth layer of the Divine Sea realm. This cultivation could still be considered at the top amongst all the inner court disciples. There weren¡¯t many of them that could compare to him, and only two were above him. In addition to Zheng Yun¡¯s formidable talent, his combat strength was also astonishing. Ordinary fifth-layer Divine Sea disciples weren¡¯t his match. But even so, the difference in cultivation made it impossible for the disciples to see any chance of him winning against Luo Cheng. In this life and death battle, death was certain for him! At this moment, on the spectator stand at the side, the various elders and leaders of the sect were all watching the scene below. The expression of one of the elders whose hair had already turned white was especially ugly. His name was Luo Tian, and his cultivation base was at the fifth layer of Golden Bridge. He was currently the Chief Elder of the Forging Hall. He was also the great-grandfather of Luo Cheng, the representative of their bloodline. When this powerful cultivator who had already lived for over eight hundred years saw this scene, he couldn¡¯t help but coldly snort. ¡°He simply doesn¡¯t know the severity of the situation. After being sent to the Firesmith Hall for so many years, he should have cultivated his body and mind and let go of the hatred in his heart. I never thought that he would be so narrow-minded and reckless!¡± He voiced his anger, seemingly towards Zheng Yun below, but in reality, he was implying something. He had already asked some people to detain Zheng Yun, but Zheng Yun still came nonetheless. It was obvious that someone else had interfered. ¡°Elder Luo, why are you so angry? This is just a small conflict between the juniors. It will be fine after we resolve it on the stage today. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of your status if you go around pulling strings in the dark?¡± an elder sitting on the other side said softly. This elder was surnamed Lu and similarly had a cultivation at the fifth layer of the Golden Bridge, but he was nearly two hundred years younger than Elder Luo. ¡°Haha, even if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m afraid that some people¡¯s plans will still inevitably fall through. Zheng Yun is not Luo Cheng¡¯s match.¡± Elder Luo¡¯s face still darkened. In the past, before Elder Lu advanced to the Golden Bridge realm, he still had to address Luo Tian respectfully as Senior Uncle. However, now, not only had Elder Lu advanced to the Golden Bridge realm, he was also at its fifth layer, putting them on equal footing. More importantly, Elder Lu was almost two hundred years younger than him. According to the Golden Bridge cultivator¡¯s lifespan of a thousand years, Elder Lu was still in his prime, whereas Elder Luo was now approaching its end. In addition to this, Elder Lu¡¯s junior family member Lu Qingtian was now in the limelight of the Skyfire Sect. The Lu bloodline was truly unparalleled. Therefore, the balance of the competition between the two factions was gradually tilting towards Elder Lu¡¯s faction. Elder Lu chuckled and said no more. He had helped Zheng Yun clear up some obstacles, all because he wanted to further damage Luo Cheng¡¯s reputation within the sect. He didn¡¯t expect to borrow Zheng Yun¡¯s strength to actually defeat Luo Cheng. After all, he was confident in Lu Qingtian¡¯s strength. Elder Lu was certain that he would win! ¡°I want to challenge Luo Cheng! ¡°In the arena of life and death! ¡°All will be up to fate! ¡°I have no regrets!¡± Zheng Yun walked over step by step. Every step was just right, neither too much nor too little. He finally stopped and stood still, staring straight at Luo Cheng from a distance of a thousand feet. Under the continuous surge of magic power, each sentence had been like a loud bell, or like thunder, so loud that even the deaf could hear it. A domineering and vigorous aura surged from Zheng Yun¡¯s body toward the sky, instantly rising to the extreme! ¡°Do you¡­ DARE to fight me?!¡± The final cry pierced straight into one¡¯s soul and reverberated throughout the plaza! Do you dare to fight?! Zheng Yun¡¯s battle intent soared to the skies, making one¡¯s blood boil. Luo Cheng¡¯s brows smoothed out, as if his entire body had relaxed. However, his eyes were still filled with viciousness. Why did you still come?! Why are you opposing me?! The killing intent in Luo Cheng¡¯s heart continued to rise, while an ice-cold aura uncontrollably gushed out from his body. Immediately, the participating disciples around him felt a bone-piercing chill. ¡°Since you want to die, let¡¯s fight!¡± Luo Cheng accepted the challenge. He could only accept the challenge! He had no other choice. If he did not accept, his reputation would be ruined. The rules of the sect could not be violated. In public, even if he had an extraordinary power behind him, he would definitely not be able to cower in the open today. Therefore, he could only accept the challenge. ¡°I will beat you to death and let you die in extreme pain!¡± ¡°Good! Then let¡¯s fight!¡± Zheng Yun took a step forward, and a gale suddenly appeared. A blazing flame shot into the sky, and in an instant, he arrived inside the arena. Elder Lin could not help but sigh. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, this old man will not try to persuade you two anymore. The two of you, prepare yourselves. Once the bell rings, you will be able to attack.¡± The enmity between these two was known by everyone back then. Now, they were going to fight to the death here. It really was lamentable. However, he was only the referee today, so he naturally couldn¡¯t say much. Soon, a melodious bell sounded. In the arena. Zheng Yun and Luo Cheng stared at each other. ¡°Senior Brother, I wanted to capture your family, but unfortunately my plans were foiled. Otherwise, you could have reunited with your family here. ¡°However, after I kill you today, I¡¯ll make a trip to Qingyun City. That way, you will have company after you die. Consider it a final gift from your fellow martial brother.¡± The corners of Luo Cheng¡¯s mouth curled up into a sinister smile as his magic power surged. His words that were covered by magic power were not transmitted out of the arena. ¡°Sure enough, he¡¯s still so despicable.¡± Zheng Yun¡¯s mood instantly surged when he was provoked by this, and his imposing aura that was originally deep like an ocean instantly revealed a trace of a flaw. ¡°Die!¡± Taking advantage of this, Luo Cheng let out a loud roar as his figure explosively shot forward. The 18-foot-long spear in his hand shook, and the 15 layers of restrictions were stirred layer by layer by his magic power. Blazing dark blue flames shot out from the tip of the spear, transforming into a fire dragon over a dozen feet long. It bared its fangs and brandished its claws as it charged towards Zheng Yun. ¡°Tsk tsk! This move is quite interesting. By borrowing the power of this spirit weapon, I can put a wisp of the divinity into it, allowing the Soaring Fire Dragon to possess a trace of spirituality,¡± said Luo Cheng. Zheng Yun analyzed the situation. ¡°On the surface, it looks normal, but its lethality has been multiplied. If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll fall for it. Sure enough, those with thick eyebrows and big eyes are all scheming b*tches.¡± In the distance, on top of a house. Jiang Chen sat upright on the roof, his eyes flickering with golden light. The Fiery Eyes Divine Ability allowed him to see the battle clearly, even from a thousand feet away. Chapter 29 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Senior Brother Luo Cheng¡¯s Soaring Fire Dragon is actually so skillful. He is truly worthy of being the chief disciple of the Forging Hall, an expert at the sixth layer of the Divine Sea realm.¡± ¡°Not bad, he did that so effortlessly. What¡¯s even more difficult is that he did not waste any magic power. Impressive.¡± ¡°However, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for Senior Zheng to withstand it!¡± The spectating inner sect disciples couldn¡¯t help but speak out as they watched Luo Cheng make his move. This move, Soaring Fire Dragon, was simple and easy to master. Furthermore, its power was pretty decent as well. Therefore, many disciples in the sect had learned this move before. However, they admitted that they were indeed far inferior compared to Luo Cheng. Although Zheng Yun had kept himself from the spotlight for so many years, his former fame was still resounding. The laymen watched the show, while those with the know-how paid attention to the techniques. These disciples only felt that Luo Cheng¡¯s moves were well-rounded and experienced and that he was able to exert power in all his moves. But they failed to see the critical detail in the spear! ¡°This spear is quite interesting. It seems that Senior Brother Luo truly has some skill. He can be considered a great rival. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not enough. He¡¯s simply not my match.¡± Lu Qingtian stood tall and stared at the ring. He had already begun to cultivate his divinity and could naturally tell that Luo Cheng had fused a strand of it into this attack. The reason why the seventh layer of the Divine Sea was called the realm¡¯s upper tier and the reason why it was so valued by the sect was because cultivators of this realm had already begun to cultivate their divinity, and only those who succeeded in cultivating their divinity could advance to the Golden Bridge realm. After all, only the Golden Bridge-realm cultivators could truly be considered the supporting pillars of a large sect. Since ancient times, this step into divinity cultivation had stumped countless experts. Within the Skyfire Sect, there were over three hundred Divine Sea cultivators, but most of them were only at the first or second layer of that realm. With just both hands, one could count the number of Divine Sea upper-tier experts in the sect that have cultivated their divinity. Even this number was the accumulation over hundreds of years. Thus, it was obvious just how difficult it was to cultivate the divinity. Although the difference in magic power between the sixth and seventh layers of the Divine Sea was only a mere severalfold, a cultivator at the seventh layer of the Divine Sea could easily defeat a cultivator at the sixth layer. This was because of their cultivation of divinity. With a complete divinity and sufficient qi, one¡¯s magic power would contain primordial spirit! If one¡¯s magic power lacked divinity, their techniques would be dull and lifeless despite their variations. However, if one were to infuse their divinity into their magic power, it would be as if their soul was being infused into it. Their magic power would contain primordial spirit, and cultivation techniques and combat moves would appear to have a life of their own. A magic technique or magic spell that was triggered by the same amount of magic power might not have much difference in strength, but its newfound flexibility could have an incredible difference. ¡°Die!¡± Though Zheng Yun¡¯s heart sank, his face showed neither joy nor sadness, only resolve! Luo Cheng¡¯s words had destroyed his explosive aura, causing the aura around his body to drop by 30%. In a battle between experts, a slight difference could be crucial. That¡¯s not even mentioning that his original cultivation base was already a layer lower than his opponent¡¯s. The possibility of him winning would be as likely as someone trying to ascend to heaven. However, he had no time to think about this now. The incomparably tyrannical fire dragon created a sky full of wind and fire as it attacked, and it had already arrived before Zheng Yun. Zheng Yun moved. His long robe rippled from the powerful explosive force. He took a step forward and leaped into the air. Powerful flames instantly enveloped the longsword in his hand. The dazzling radiance actually gave people the illusion that he had borrowed the light of the sun. He was still in the air when he raised his sword and slashed down, ruthlessly chopping at the neck of the flaming dragon. In the blink of an eye, the fire dragon swayed to the side, making it look like it had come alive. It had instantly dodged Zheng Yun¡¯s slash, causing his planned attack to miss. Ang~ Waves of air shot into the sky. The flames that seemed to have substance emitted a dragon-like roar amidst the explosive astral winds. It charged towards Zheng Yun again. At the same time, Luo Cheng also moved. Flames rose from his body as he executed his movement technique, pouncing towards Zheng Yun from another direction. He stabbed out with his 18-foot-long spear. The spear thrust out. In an instant, a terrifying wave of air that was several thousand feet high was unleashed. A scorching white pillar of smoke soared into the sky, and surging waves of air tumbled about and ranged out. It fiercely collided with the surrounding array formation before finally coming to stop. The immense power caused the array formation around the ring to vibrate ceaselessly. One could not help but feel that the spirit array forcefield was about to be destroyed. At this moment, the fire dragon and the spear attacked Zheng Yun from the left and the right, who seemed to be trapped in the joint attack of the two. The fire dragon twisted and turned, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws as its aura soared to the sky! The spear was incomparably sharp in its attack, as if it could pierce through the heavens! With just two moves, he had already forced Zheng Yun, who was at the fifth layer of the Divine Sea realm, into a desperate situation. On the spectator stands, when Elder Lu saw Luo Cheng¡¯s attack, he first revealed a look of shock, before turning it into a smile. Unexpectedly, Luo Cheng had already started to cultivate his divinity. If he had been hiding it all this time, he probably wanted to surprise Lu Qingtian with it to make a comeback. However, Zheng Yun¡¯s challenge had left Luo Cheng with no choice but to reveal it. As a Golden Bridge-realm elder, Elder Lu immediately understood why Luo Cheng would make such a choice. After all, although Zheng Yun¡¯s cultivation level was one layer lower than Luo Cheng¡¯s, his magic spells and divine ability were not weak at all. If the two of them fought, it would definitely not end in a moment. If the battle dragged on for too long, then Luo Cheng would have to consume a lot of his magic power. In fact, he might even be injured. In that case, he might as well kill Zheng Yun while he was on a roll. This way, he could preserve enough strength to compete with Lu Qingtian. After thinking this through, Elder Lu turned around and said to Elder Luo with a smile, ¡°Congratulations, Elder Luo. Luo Cheng has actually started to comprehend divinity cultivation. Seems like you have a successor.¡± Naturally, Elder Luo understood the real meaning of the words. Elder Lu might have appeared to be congratulating him, but in reality, he was saying that since Luo Cheng had already used his trump card, the final match would naturally be without suspense. After all, Lu Qingtian was already a divinity cultivator. In terms of divinity cultivation, he was definitely better than Luo Cheng. ¡°Hmph!¡± Elder Luo snorted coldly when he heard that. ¡°This narrow-minded fool is going to die for sure! He actually dares to challenge my Luo Family¡¯s genius in public. He¡¯s simply an ant trying to shake a big tree. He¡¯s overestimating his ability.¡± On the spectator stand, Elder Luo¡¯s eyes were cold as the killing intent in his heart boiled. If not for the sect rules, Elder Luo would have personally killed Zheng Yun long ago. Because of this young man, Luo Cheng had completely lost the possibility of becoming the champion of the tournament. He couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely resentful. Chapter 30 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Die, Zheng Yun! ¡°You should have died thirty years ago! ¡°I let you off back then, but I didn¡¯t expect you to be so ungrateful. Now, you even dare to spoil my plans. You should have been hacked into pieces then! But it¡¯s not too late to kill you now!¡± Luo Cheng¡¯s tone was bone-chilling. Zheng Yun, his senior brother. Apart from Luo Cheng¡¯s family background, Zheng Yun was better than him in every aspect, whether it was in cultivation talent or weapon-refinement talent. He had always been more dazzling than him in the Forging Hall and had always surpassed him. If things continued on like that, Zheng Yun would have become the chief disciple of the Forging Hall, and one day, he might even have been promoted as its hall master. Furthermore, what Luo Cheng found even more unacceptable was that the woman he truly liked, his junior sister, actually liked Zheng Yun. Thus, he had set up a scheme to sully his junior sister¡¯s innocence. He had thought that he would be able to change her mind once the deed was done. However, he did not expect his junior sister to commit suicide after she regained consciousness. Despite what he did, Luo Cheng didn¡¯t feel that this was his fault. Instead, he felt that it was all because of Zheng Yun. Coupled with the fact that the two of them were competing for the chief disciple position of the Forging Hall, Luo Cheng had gone all out. He had schemed against Zheng Yun and destroyed his cultivation foundation, making it difficult for Zheng Yun to advance in his lifetime. Then, he had used his family¡¯s power to expel Zheng Yun from the Forging Hall. However, in order to protect his own reputation, he didn¡¯t get rid of Zheng Yun. At this moment, however, the other party had actually dared to oppose him! How could he not be furious?! He swore that he would kill Zheng Yun here with a single spear strike so that no one else in the sect would ever dare to go against him. ¡°Luo Cheng, you deserve to die. I swore to Wan¡¯er that I would tear you to pieces. Today is the day you die!¡± In the face of Luo Cheng¡¯s killing blow, Zheng Yun¡¯s countenance calmed down. His tone was firm and convincing. ¡°Heh heh, a piece of trash like you¡­ You think you can kill me?! The only one who will die today is you. Die!¡± Luo Cheng laughed loudly. His long spear was now only six meters away from Zheng Yun. This distance was fleeting. With Zheng Yun¡¯s cultivation, he could not dodge it at all. At this moment, some of the senior disciples could not help but close their eyes. They did not want to see Senior Brother Zheng, who had always been kind to others, end up like this. ¡°Luo Cheng, die!¡± At this moment, Zheng Yun, who was supposed to be in a desperate situation and on the verge of being killed, suddenly turned red as his body burst out with blazing, soaring flames. The scorching heat dyed the surrounding air red, igniting the void. In fact, the fire dragon that Luo Cheng had launched earlier was also blocked by the blazing flames, about nine meters away from Zheng Yun. Zheng Yun had sacrificed his vital spirit fire, the 29th earth-grade Iron Heart Flame. The spirit fire erupted, and his spirit sea was instantly ignited. It was as if a spark had fallen into a gasoline can as Zheng Yun¡¯s spirit sea exploded violently. All his magic powers were ignited in an instant, along with his spirit fire, the 29th earth-grade Iron Heart Flame. He was going all out! Zheng Yun exerted all his strength as if he was a raging fire. The sword in his hand once again burst into blazing flames. His entire body was covered in flames, as if he was a legendary fire god. With a thrust of his sword, he felt invincible! He vowed to kill Luo Cheng here and now! This thrust of the sword contained all of Zheng Yun¡¯s strength. ¡°What?!¡± Suddenly, someone shouted, ¡°That¡¯s Spirit Fire Sacrifice! Senior Brother Zheng actually sacrificed his vital spirit fire!¡± Everyone around the ring looked towards it involuntarily. On the spectator stands, an elder cried out in shock, ¡°He¡¯s simply courting death! Once his spirit fire is sacrificed, at the very least, his cultivation will be lost, and he will forever be a cripple. At the worst, his core spirit will be shattered, and he will completely disappear from this world.¡± When a cultivator awakened his vital spirit fire and initiated into the Dao, it would cause his core spirit to fuse into the vital spirit fire. If he wanted to sacrifice his vital spirit fire, it would be fine if it only lasted for a short period of time as it would only cause him to lose his cultivation. However, if prolonged, his core spirit would also suffer. In that case, his core spirit would definitely shatter and die. ¡°Tsk tsk, looks like your Luo Cheng went overboard back then. I didn¡¯t expect Junior Nephew Zheng to be forced to such desperate measures,¡± Elder Lu said to Elder Luo with a smile. Zheng Yun had sacrificed his vital spirit fire. This was a moment of extreme glory, and the strength he erupted with had even reached the sixth layer of the Divine Sea. Unfortunately¡­ Luo Cheng had entered the sixth layer of the Divine Sea long ago and had already been immersed in this realm for quite some time, even managing to cultivate divinity. If not for this, Zheng Yun might have been able to make a comeback. However, the fact that he could hurt the other party was already a big accomplishment. ¡°Hmph!¡± Elder Luo¡¯s face darkened. He remained silent as he snorted coldly. If not for the many elders and disciples present, he would have already glared Zheng Yun to death. In the world of cultivators, even a glare could be deadly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Elder Zheng to be so unyielding. He was prepared to perish together with Luo Cheng. ¡°No, with his cultivation base, even if he sacrificed his vital spirit fire, he would, at most, be able to injure Luo Cheng. It would be impossible for him to kill Luo Cheng. ¡°Sigh, Old Buddy Zheng, why did you rush it? If you had delayed it just a bit longer, Luo Cheng wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on.¡± Jiang Chen could not help but sigh. He stretched out his left hand, and a weak flame appeared. Then, it flashed and disappeared. At the same time, on the stage¡­ ¡°No matter how hard you try, you won¡¯t be able to change the fact that you¡¯re about to die.¡± Luo Cheng roared. The restrictions on the spear in his hand were all activated swiftly. These restrictions released one after another, gathering an unimaginable power. They caused the spear to explode and turn into a small sun. Immediately, Luo Cheng exerted his strength to send this ¡°sun¡± out, but right at this moment¡­ His spirit sea trembled for no reason. A black spot appeared in the middle of his liquefied magic power. Soon, this black spot dyed his entire spirit sea with unimaginable speed. It was so sudden that he wasn¡¯t mentally prepared at all. His spirit sea froze in an instant, making him unable to activate the magic power in his body. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± The changes in his body caused Luo Cheng to be terrified. However, just as all of this was happening, Zheng Yun had already thrust his sword forward. The vigorous power of its flames, together with the fireball that had exploded from the spear, was pushed towards Luo Cheng. Luo Cheng didn¡¯t even have time to react before he was engulfed by the flames. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to scream before he was burnt to ashes. Chapter 31 "Dead?! "Did I kill him? "I actually killed him!!!" Zheng Yun had stabbed with all his might. He was already prepared to die, but he did not expect this outcome. For a moment, he was at a loss. He felt that he didn''t encounter any resistance at all. In fact, it was as if Luo Cheng was standing there, waiting for him to kill him. This made him feel as if he had used all his strength to attack only for it to be met with something as soft as cotton. However, Luo Cheng had truly died! He had been burnt to ashes by the blazing flames! But why did Luo Cheng not resist? He didn''t believe that Luo Cheng would suddenly find his conscience and choose to die. However, he no longer had time to think or be surprised. Zheng Yun''s attention was focused on the energy that was originally surging like the tide in his body. If there was a rise to a tide, there was also bound to be a fall. Right now, like a retreating tide, all of his magic power escaped him and did so completely. There was not even a bit of magic power left in his spirit sea, and the entire spirit sea was dry, with cracks appearing on the surface. His spirit sea was crippled! When he sacrificed his vital spirit fire just now to generate a tremendous amount of power, he knew it would also destroy his spirit sea. Waves of weakness crushed his mental state. He couldn''t hold on any longer. His organs and bones were all in a painful state. Finally, he blacked out and fell from the sky. "Ah, what''s going on?" "Senior Brother Luo Cheng is actually dead!" "Senior Brother Zheng actually killed Senior Brother Luo! How is this possible?!" Instantly, the entire courtyard was in an uproar. Clearly, they were shocked by this result. Just a moment ago, Luo Cheng had looked confident about his win. Even if Zheng Yun sacrificed his vital spirit fire, he was still no match for him. However, in an instant, the tables had turned. If Zheng Yun had defeated Luo Cheng after an arduous battle by sacrificing his vital spirit fire, it would have been easier for them to accept the results. After all, it was possible. But Zheng Yun had defeated him in a single strike. How could they not be shocked?! Their eyeballs were about to pop out! "Ah! This is impossible! How can Luo Cheng die?! "What kind of sorcery did you use, Zheng Yun? You deserve to die! I''m going to kill you!" On the spectator stand, Elder Luo, of an age where his hair was already grayish-white, was utterly enraged when he saw this scene. In fact, he had yet to recover from his extreme shock since it happened. At this moment, an inexplicable fluctuation surged out from his body. Powerful and vigorous magic power instantly covered the entire central courtyard. All the inner sect disciples could then feel a layer of "dust" covering their hearts and spirits. They could no longer circulate their magic power properly. Their strength was actually suppressed by 20 to 30 percent in an instant. "Is this the true strength of an elder of the sect?!" The group of disciples had never seen this elder show his might before. Most importantly, that oppressive might was not aimed at them. Furthermore, it covered such a vast area that it simply surpassed their imagination. Didn''t this mean that if all these disciples worked together, they still wouldn''t be Elder Luo''s match? Golden Bridge-realm experts were truly terrifying. Elder Luo flew out toward the stage in a fit of rage. In an instant, he arrived at the edge of the arena. He coldly snorted, and a fist imprint emitting blazing ice flames was about to smash Zheng Yun who was lying on the ground. However, at this moment, a cold voice sounded. "Elder Luo, enough is enough!" It was not loud, but it was like a spring breeze. It brushed away the dust in the disciples'' hearts and made them recover from the difficult situation they were in. The sect master of the Skyfire Sect, Chi Tianfeng, had unexpectedly appeared in the sky. He hovered there, with his eyes shining brightly. Although Chi Tianfeng did not do anything, Elder Luo''s attack automatically dissipated without any fluctuation. "Sect Master, Luo Cheng is dead. He was the successor of our Luo clan!" Elder Luo''s gaze was terrifyingly dark. He stared coldly at Chi Tianfeng as he maintained the magic power that was as deep as the ocean on his body. With this, Elder Luo was trying to pressure Chi Tianfeng. "It was a fair fight. Life and death are up to fate. Luo Tian, are you really going to break the sect''s rules?! "Elder Luo, return to your seat!" Chi Tianfeng''s gaze became sharper as his tone became heavier. "That''s right, Elder Luo. If you are willing to bet, you must accept your loss. Are you a sore loser?" At this moment, Elder Lu also stood out and criticized Elder Luo. This was an extremely good opportunity to strike at Elder Luo, so he naturally wouldn''t waste it. "Humph, you guys¡ª" Elder Luo was furious. However, he could feel two strands of qi closing in on his body. He did not doubt that if he dared to forcefully attack again, he would immediately face an attack. His hands clenched into fists several times, but in the end, they loosened. "I''ll remember this!" In the end, Elder Luo did not make a move. He left a vicious sentence and flew away on a flame. "Someone, get Zheng Yun off the ring and have him treated." In the end, Chi Tianfeng ordered his men to bring the unconscious Zheng Yun away. Then, he spoke again, "Alright, let''s continue the tournament." As soon as the tournament officially began, the entire courtyard regained its calm. However, it was obvious that the spectators had not recovered from the shock just now. Naturally, they did not have much interest in the tournament that continued. This made the remaining matches seem even less appreciated than yesterday''s. Only occasionally did people cheer. "The biggest difference between the Golden Bridge realm and the Divine Sea realm lies in the domain-like ability?" On the distant roof, Jiang Chen didn''t pay attention to the following matches. He was still thinking about how that Elder Luo flew into a rage out of humiliation and brazenly attacked. Even though he was so far away, he was still affected by that force. Even with his strength, he had felt an immense pressure. His strength had also been suppressed by a level. This was still when he was rather far away. If he was on the stage, he would probably have been suppressed even more severely. It seemed like he would have to be even more careful in front of this Golden Bridge-realm old monster in the future. Otherwise, if these fellows were to notice anything unusual, he wouldn''t even be able to escape. Even if he used the Battle Saint Art, there probably wouldn''t be much of a difference. However, if he could complete the Battle Saint Art and increase his strength by 900%, then the current him might be able to fight a Golden Bridge-realm expert. "It''s time to go. There''s nothing else to see." Jiang Chen stood up, patted off the nonexistent dust on his body, and jumped off the roof. Then, he turned around and walked in the direction of the Firesmith Hall. Chapter 32 Time went by very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, three months passed. On this day, within Firesmith Hall. Jiang Chen woke up early, but someone had been earlier than him. Steward Zheng was already in the courtyard. Zheng Yun looked different now compared to three months ago when he had lost an absurd amount of weight. His entire body was skin and bones; his eyes were also turbid, and his head was full of white hair like an aged elder, basically not looking like a cultivator at all. In the Skyfire Sect Tournament, Zheng Yun had sacrificed his vital spirit fire. If he were to continue clashing head-on with Luo Cheng, he would definitely have exhausted all of his vitality source, resulting in his death. Fortunately, Jiang Chen had already poisoned Luo Cheng before that. Luo Cheng''s cultivation was extremely high, and he also had a body that was supposedly immune to all poisons, so his vigilance against poisoning was extremely low. And it was precisely because of this that Jiang Chen had used two types of colorless and odorless potions, one for each iron box. If these two potions were used individually, even for ordinary people, they would not have any toxicity. However, once they were mixed together, they would form a slow poison in the body. He had already calculated the time and had even sprinkled another kind of stimulant on the stage in advance, allowing the poison in Luo Cheng''s body to flare up earlier. But he didn''t think that Zheng Yun would actually fight with his life on the line and that Luo Cheng would actually have the intention to kill. The unexpected synergy between the two almost made Jiang Chen''s plan go bust. But fortunately, Jiang Chen had still taken the risk and acted in the end, triggering the poison in Luo Cheng''s body in advance, which resulted in that shocking outcome. This allowed Zheng Yun to kill Luo Cheng without exerting much strength. It also allowed him to preserve a portion of his vitality source and not completely consume it. After a series of treatments by the sect, he actually managed to survive. But the price was obviously not small. Zheng Yun''s spirit sea had shattered, and his spirit fire died. Ninety percent of his cultivation was gone. His cultivation level had fallen to the Qi Inspiration realm, and his injuries were too severe, eliminating the possibility of him continuing to cultivate in the future. With a cultivation at the ninth level of Qi Inspiration, the current Zheng Yun was very suitable for his position as steward of the Firesmith Hall. Jiang Chen greeted him, "Morning, Elder Zheng. You''re sunbathing again." Ever since Zheng Yun returned to the Firesmith Hall, as long as the weather was good, he would always bask in the sun as it rose. In his words, when one was old, one would always like the rising sun. Zheng Yun''s foundation was exhausted, and he did not have many years left to live. He was simply lucky to be alive, so the loss of his lifespan was understandable. "Yeah, it''s good to be out in the sun for no reason." After killing Luo Cheng, Zheng Yun could be considered to have taken his revenge, fulfilling the great wish in his heart. His entire mentality had changed, his willpower no longer low. He never drank again. He was like an ordinary old man in the mortal world, spending his days with nothing to do. "Oh, right. Jiang Chen, I heard that you were sold here by human traffickers. Do you want to leave the Skyfire Sect? If you wish to leave, I''ll give up my last bit of face and ask the sect to let you leave." After getting his revenge, Zheng Yun''s heart completely calmed down. He also had the mood to consider other things. For example, Jiang Chen''s background and origin. He found out that the labor disciple had been kidnapped and sold to the Nanli Continent by human traffickers when he was young. Jiang Chen was originally from a large clan in the Central Continent, and his background was not bad. However, in the Skyfire Sect, he was only the lowest ranking laborer. He was considered the private property of the Sect, so he naturally could not decide whether to stay or leave. But for Zheng Yun, although he was almost a cripple, he still had some reputation in the sect. It was not a problem for him to dismiss a laborer. "Leave the sect? Go home?" Hearing the word "home", Jiang Chen was shocked. A memory then awakened in his mind. At that time, "he" was only 11 or 12 years old. Every day, he would sleep until late in the morning before getting up reluctantly at his mother''s urging. As the young master of a large family, he did not need to work and could enjoy all kinds of luxury. Every day, he was carefree; his parents were loving; his brothers were respectful, and their relationship was extremely good. It could be said that this was the happiest moment of "his" life. However, Jiang Chen had transmigrated after all. "His" parents of this world were unfamiliar to him. He had always been resisting "his" past in his heart. Otherwise, if he wanted to leave, who in the sect would find out about it?! And now, almost thirty years had passed. Whether "his parents" were still alive or whether they had died when the enemy attacked, there were all sorts of unknowns. Jiang Chen sighed. "It''s been so many years. I''ll let fate decide." He had transmigrated here after all, so he felt even more unfamiliar with the parents of the body''s original owner. He only felt hesitant because of the memories of his previous self. Therefore, he would not force it. Or rather, deep down, he did not know how to face this kinship. Jiang Chen waved his hand and walked out of the Firesmith Hall. Skyfire Sect, South District. On the edge of the Ancient Cold Pond, outside the Alchemy Hall. This was the last of Jiang Chen''s tasks today. At the same time, he was prepared to sign in here. The chances of obtaining high-grade medicinal pills were far higher signing in here by the Alchemy Hall than in other places. If he could obtain a heaven-grade medicinal pill that could help with reconnecting one''s foundation, then he might be able to restore Zheng Yun''s foundation, allowing him to once again step onto the path of cultivation. This was one of the few things Jiang Chen could do for Zheng Yun, his only friend in the Skyfire Sect. System, sign in here! Jiang Chen activated the procedure with his mind. [Congratulations to Host for signing in successfully at the Alchemy Hall. You have obtained the heaven-grade "Five Flames Nine Flavors Primordial Core Pill Recipe".] "It''s actually a heaven-grade medicinal pill recipe! Furthermore, it''s a recipe that replenishes one''s vitality source!" Jiang Chen''s attention was immediately attracted. Following his mental command, the system immediately transmitted all the details of this pill recipe into his mind. "Indeed, there''s no free lunch in this world. The conditions for refining this pill are truly harsh." Jiang Chen also did not expect that this time, he did not get the medicinal pill directly from signing in at the Alchemy Hall, but just the pill recipe instead. Imagination was always beautiful, but reality was always cruel. "Looks like I need to rely on myself to heal Zheng Yun''s injuries." This time, Jiang Chen was able to sign in and obtain the heaven-grade pill recipe. However, according to the system''s usual pattern, the probability of directly obtaining a heaven-grade divine pill from signing it at the Alchemy Hall had now decreased greatly. Therefore, he might as well try his luck here and refine a heaven-grade divine pill himself. Fortunately, with his alchemist grandmaster level, he already had the skills to refine this pill. Of course, now was not the time. Firstly, he didn''t have the necessary materials. Secondly, his current cultivation was at the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm. Although it wasn''t too bad, once a heaven-grade divine pill appeared, it would definitely stir up a storm. There would be no way to conceal it. Therefore, once it was exposed, he would also need to have the ability to guard the pill. Chapter 33 The sun rose and set. Another month passed. During this period of time, Jiang Chen''s life became peaceful again. Every day, he would maintain the array formations in various areas of the sect. After that, he would consume medicinal pills and cultivate continuously. Sometimes, he would even transform into the mysterious pill master to guide Xu Xin in refining pills to pass the time. The days were fulfilling, and Jiang Chen gradually suppressed the longing for home that Zheng Yun had awakened. He was like a ghost, living quietly and unobtrusively in the Skyfire Sect. In the central courtyard, a group of inner sect disciples took advantage of their free time to discuss in groups. "What? The Northern Demon Cult''s core disciple, Gu Changfeng, arrived at the South Screen Mountains three days ago and met the sixth-ranked Mountain Crusher Li Jue there." "A great battle broke out between the two of them. They exchanged over a hundred moves, and in the end, Gu Changfeng''s saber cut down Li Jue, who was at the sixth layer of the Divine Sea realm." "After this battle, Gu Changfeng has officially replaced Li Jue as the sixth in the Soaring Dragon Rankings." "Moreover, after killing Li Jue and replacing him, Gu Changfeng announced that he would challenge Lu Qingtian of the Skyfire Sect!" His next target was Lu Qingtian, chief senior brother of the Skyfire Sect, who had just obtained first place in the internal sect tournament. The South Screen Mountains was a majestic mountain range in the northernmost part of the Nanli Continent. Like a barrier, it separated the Continent from the northern region. Since Gu Changfeng was already at the South Screen Mountains, then it would only be days, or at most a month, before Gu Changfeng would arrive at Flame Mountain, where the Skyfire Sect was located. At that moment, the atmosphere in the courtyard turned serious. Although Lu Qingtian''s ranking was higher than Li Jue''s, it was only one rank higher. The difference in strength between the two wasn''t too great. Since Gu Changfeng could kill Li Jue, he naturally had the power to threaten Lu Qingtian. "Gu Changfeng is a demonic dao scoundrel, and he has probably offended many people along the way to the south. Why haven''t any righteous experts killed him yet?" Some disciples were aggrieved. They felt that experienced experts should go subdue this demonic scum who was constantly challenging the rising stars of the various sects in such a high-profile manner. Among the orthodox Dao, there were 10 major sects and countless experts. How could they tolerate such a demonic scoundrel being so rampant? Besides, over many years, the Skyfire Sect had already fought a few battles with the Northern Demon Cult. It could be said that the enmity between them was as deep as the sea, and the Sect should have sent experts to kill him. "Haha, you''re dreaming. If it was truly that simple, how could that guy have managed to reach this point?" After this disciple finished speaking, the surrounding disciples immediately stepped forward. "Could there be some inside story?" "Hmph, Gu Changfeng is not a simple core disciple. He is the personal disciple of an elder from the Northern Demon Cult in the north, and that elder is a half-step Primordial Core cultivator. He is a true big shot." "When Gu Changfeng''s name became known, this elder already made sure to let all the major sects know that if anyone messed with his disciple, they would have to deal with him. If anyone dared to send experts from the older generation to deal with Gu Changfeng, he would lower his pride and kill the younger generation of the other sects." Any sect would think twice about messing with Gu Changfeng if it involved being targeted by a half-step Primordial Core old monster. Therefore, during the period after Gu Changfeng came out, he had defeated and killed many experts on the Soaring Dragon Rankings. However, no sect dared to attack him. After all, in a fair competition, they would have nothing to say since their skills were inferior. They also didn''t want to provoke the other party''s master, which would end up causing their disciples to have so much fear that they wouldn''t even dare to leave their sects. "Alright, you guys don''t have to worry. Senior Brother Lu once said that it''s fine if Gu Changfeng doesn''t come, but if he dares to cause trouble in our Skyfire Sect, he will definitely be killed here." Lu Qingtian was confident that he could defeat Gu Changfeng. "That''s right. Senior Brother Lu is the Chief Senior Brother of the inner sect. He possesses the Ten Directions Fiery Flame Technique and can even counter the demon cults'' cultivation techniques. He will definitely be able to kill Gu Changfeng," a disciple among the crowd said. After the disciple spoke, the other people in the crowd also started to agree. Jiang Chen walked past them and naturally heard everything they said. This matter had spread within the sect even before the tournament. At that time, Gu Changfeng had still been far away, but now, he was already so close to the Skyfire Sect. However, Jiang Chen only smiled when he heard all this. He continued to walk forward, but soon after, he sensed something strange. There was an obscure gaze watching him! Jiang Chen maintained his composure. After releasing a wisp of his perception, he quickly discovered that it was a black-robed Law Enforcement Hall disciple who was staring at him. "A Law Enforcement Hall disciple? Why is he targeting me? Did the sect discover something?" Thinking up to this point, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but deny it. If the sect really discovered his secret, then it wouldn''t just be an ordinary law enforcement disciple with a second-layer Divine Sea cultivation. At the very least, it would have to be an elder at the Golden Bridge realm personally making a move! In other words¡­ There should be another reason for this person to target him, right? He was just a firesmith laborer, what was there for others to covet? Jiang Chen remained calm and collected, pretending as if he didn''t know anything. He patrolled the various array formations of the sect according to his usual routine and changed the spirit stones that were depleted. Everything was normal. In the end, Jiang Chen only sensed that gaze vanish when he returned to the Firesmith Hall. After confirming that the other party had left, he quietly left the Hall and carefully arrived at an uninhabited place. He took out the Myriad Mask and attached it to his face. Then, with a thought, he instantly became an ordinary inner sect disciple he had seen before. Then, he followed that mysterious feeling and walked through the sect. Soon, he saw the figure of the law-enforcement disciple who had been following him. Jiang Chen followed him from a distance. Not long after, they arrived at a place not far from the Law Enforcement Hall. At this moment, on a three-story building. He saw the law enforcement disciple, as well as a voluptuous woman beside him. Is that Chen Huan? After following me, the disciple went to find Chen Huan. From the looks of it, he has returned here to report his findings. So this person is following me based on Chen Huan''s orders? Based on what he saw, Jiang Chen couldn''t help but think this way. In next to no time, Jiang Chen thought of the death that happened before the tournament. When Jiang Chen had killed Deacon Huang from the Labor Department, the deacon''s cultivation had clearly already been severed. If he did not kill him that day, Deacon Huang would have succeeded in advancing. That was because he had consumed a Five Fires Qi Integration Pill! Furthermore, the deacon had previously gone to the Law Enforcement Hall. Jiang Chen couldn''t help but connect the dots. Deacon Huang''s medicinal pill was probably given to him by Chen Huan! Chapter 34 In the pavilion, Chen Huan and the law enforcement disciple were conversing. "Very well. Continue monitoring like this. Also, to avoid being discovered, do not come and report to me in the next few days. "Remember your mission. Just follow him and record all his daily activities. "Alright, you can leave now. Do your job well. I won''t mistreat you after this is done." Chen Huan''s gentle tone made this law-enforcement disciple involuntarily sink into their conversation. Only when Chen Huan waved her hand did the law-enforcement disciple reluctantly leave. Now alone, Chen Huan leaned softly against a pillar on the balcony, as if she had no bones in her body. Under the sunlight, her beautiful figure exuded an endless charm. "Lu Qingtian, Feng Changqing, I''ll let the two of you enjoy yourselves for a few more days. When I completely expel the fire poison in my body and advance to the ninth layer of the Divine Sea, I will definitely inherit the Law Enforcement Hall." In the Law Enforcement Hall, Chen Huan was the most powerful competitor for the Hall Master position. Almost no one could shake her position. However, because of this, she was constantly plotted against, causing her cultivation to go wrong and the flame poison to accumulate in her body. For so many years, Chen Huan''s cultivation had been stuck at the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm, unable to advance. This also gave Feng Changqing enough time to grow, giving him the possibility of threatening her position. In fact, if the hidden problem in her body continued to remain unresolved, then as long as Feng Changqing''s cultivation reached her level in the future, he would naturally be able to snatch the Hall Master position from her. Now, Jiang Chen''s appearance gave her a glimmer of hope. Because of this, she had waited patiently for several months until the end of the tournament. Originally, she had thought that Luo Cheng and Lu Qingtian would definitely engage in a fierce battle in the Grand Competition. Then, she could have taken the opportunity to act. However, she had never imagined that Luo Cheng would die before he could even battle Lu Qingtian in the finals. On top of that, he had been killed by the cripple, Zheng Yun. As a result, Lu Qingtian won the tournament unscathed. Lu Qingtian was in cahoots with Feng Changqing, colluding against her. The Law Enforcement Hall was an extremely important department in the sect; therefore, the position of Hall Master was naturally prioritized and highly sought after. The factions behind these two men wanted to control the entire sect. Clearly, they weren''t willing to just give control of the Law Enforcement Hall to someone else, so they would do anything to prevent her from successfully expelling the flame poison in her body. If the other party found out about Chen Huan''s plans, they would definitely try all means to obstruct her. By then, all of her efforts would be in vain. This was also the reason why Chen Huan had chosen not to do anything despite knowing of Jiang Chen''s existence. She had to be careful and vigilant. Cautious and on her guard! And now, her chance had come. Gu Changfeng of the Northern Demon Cult had already arrived at the Nanli Continent. He was about to ascend Flame Mountain and challenge Lu Qingtian at the Skyfire Sect. This was a major event that would definitely be able to suppress most of Lu Qingtian''s supporting forces. It was also her best chance, given that he and his supporters would have their hands full with Gu Changfeng. When that time came, she planned to take Jiang Chen away. By the time they reacted, she might have already advanced to the ninth layer of the Divine Sea. By then, even if they knew, she would have nothing to be afraid of. With a cultivation at the ninth layer of the Divine Sea realm, it would be enough for her to secure the position of the Chief Law Enforcement Deputy of the Law Enforcement Hall. And after that, when she advanced to the Golden Bridge realm, she would definitely become Hall Master. These were the rules of the sect. No one could go against them. On Chen Huan''s exquisite face, the corners of her mouth could not help but curl up. She was still fantasizing about her future, but what she failed to notice was that Jiang Chen had been watching and had seen everything. The final outcome had already been decided. Days went by, and Gu Changfeng got closer to the Skyfire Sect. The atmosphere there became more and more solemn as time passed. Every day, disciples would discuss Gu Changfeng and Lu Qingtian at every corner of the sect. However, despite being the main character of this incident, Lu Qingtian rarely showed his face. He hadn''t said anything about this either. The disciples of the sect had full confidence in Lu Qingtian in the beginning. However, as time went on, not once did Lu Qingtian make an appearance. Meanwhile, more and more information and details about Gu Changfeng began to surface. It was rumored that ever since Gu Chengfeng left the Northern Demon Cult, he had experienced over a hundred battles. Regardless of whether it was those on the Soaring Dragon Rankings or the famous experts from the various states, he had been able to defeat them all. There was once a seventh-layer Divine Sea expert who brazenly attacked Gu Changfeng as he was confident in his strength since his cultivation was a layer higher. Surprisingly, however, Gu Changfeng made a comeback and killed the man. Although that expert was over two hundred years old and was also a Divine Sea-realm cultivator, he had almost reached his twilight years, and thus, his strength had already started to decline. However, the fact that Gu Changfeng was able to kill him was already sufficient proof of his might. Most of the news about him followed the same pattern. Gu Changfeng would always defeat and kill his enemies in a clean and thorough manner. Only a few of his opponents managed to escape from him. As such news spread throughout the sect, the attitude of many disciples in the sect also gradually changed. Lu Qingtian had yet to show his face or make a statement, which made them even more doubtful. Just like that, as time passed and as Gu Changfeng got closer and closer, the atmosphere in the entire sect became even stranger. Another new day. At this moment, Gu Changfeng had arrived at a city less than five hundred kilometers away from the Skyfire Sect. A certain hidden residence in Fengzhou City was actually one of the Northern Demon Cult''s Dark Demon Defense Strongholds. A Dark Demon Defense Stronghold was a facility of the Cult that specialized in assassination and intelligence gathering and existed in various states. The one here was responsible for gathering information about the Skyfire Sect and infiltrating it. Gu Changfeng was dressed in black, with a black cloak fluttering behind him. His figure was tall and straight. His face was so handsome that it seemed to have been carved out of stone. His entire body was filled with a perfect charm. "Greetings, Sir!" A group of people came to Gu Changfeng and bowed. On the surface, he appeared to only be the personal disciple of a powerful elder of the Northern Demon Cult, but in reality, he was also a Dark Demon Deputy of a Dark Demon Defense Stronghold. Furthermore, he had deeper motives for coming to the Nanli Continent to visit the Skyfire Sect. His challenge against chief disciple Lu Qingtian was only a ruse. "You can spare such formalities when we''re outside the cult," Gu Changfeng said calmly. "How is it going with the tasks I have assigned you?" As Gu Changfeng finished speaking, one of the men in black immediately said, "My lord, we have already spread damaging rumors about Lu Qingtian within the Skyfire Sect as instructed. It has already caused quite a reaction." "Yes! Well done." Chapter 35 "Alright, if there''s nothing else, you may leave. Continue with the plan," Gu Changfeng commanded. "Yes, sir!" "However, there is one thing that this subordinate doesn''t understand. I''m not sure if spreading gossip has any use at all? With such a shortage of manpower, shouldn''t we focus on investigating the situation inside the Demon Subduing Prison instead?" The leader of the men in black had braced himself and spoken his mind. There was an important figure from the Northern Demon Cult who was defeated by the Skyfire Sect more than a hundred years ago and had been imprisoned in the Demon Subduing Prison since then. For the past few decades, they had always had this mission: to rescue that important figure from the Skyfire Sect. Because of this, they had already lost dozens of people over the years. However, this leader couldn''t see why Gu Changfeng wanted them to gather their strength to just spread bad rumors about Lu Qingtian within the Skyfire Sect. Wasn''t that a waste of manpower? "Are you questioning my orders?" Gu Changfeng glanced at the man in black, who was kneeling on the ground. His tone was still indifferent, but an undetectable killing intent had already appeared. "I wouldn''t dare!" The man in black seemed to have sensed something. He hurriedly apologized repeatedly, and even his forehead unconsciously broke out in cold sweat. Although Gu Changfeng had the appearance of an angel, he knew that this person was extremely ruthless. If there was someone Gu Changfeng didn''t like, he wouldn''t hesitate to unsheathe his sword to kill. Who knew how many people had accidentally angered him and were thus killed by him? Now, the leader in black was already regretting his words. Why did he have to speak his mind and anger him for no reason? "If you knew that and you still did it, you must have a death wish then." Gu Changfeng''s tone had become even colder. Before he finished speaking, Gu Changfeng''s clothes suddenly fluttered in the wind. The gilded black robe rose up, seeming as vast as the starry sky. In that instant, a crisp sound rang out. It was so clear that it seemed as if it was the only sound in the world. Then, a ray of light flashed past. The moment the light had shone, everyone present couldn''t help but feel blinded by it. It was as if that flash of light was even more dazzling than the sun in the sky. When everyone''s vision returned, the leader of the black-clothed men who was kneeling on the ground just a moment ago had already been silently cleaved into two. "All right. Remember, don''t question my decisions, or this is what happens." Instantly, the men in black in the courtyard broke out in cold sweat. "All of you may leave now." Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they heard this. No one dared to stay any longer, and the entire courtyard became empty swiftly. "A bunch of trash dares to question my decision? This is why they deserve to die." Gu Changfeng naturally had his reasons as to why he wanted to spread those rumors. His Heavenly Fiend Nine Revolutions had already been cultivated to the seventh revolution. Seven emotion revolutions. This level of cultivation was all about attracting the seven emotions of a person, causing them to leak out and transform into power. The rumors he had spread caused many disciples of the Skyfire Sect to experience a change in their mental state. As long as they were slightly influenced by him, he would be able to absorb the seven emotions of these people, greatly increasing his combat strength. However, this was related to the mysteries of his own cultivation method, so it was naturally not something he would let others know about. Since the black-clothed leader of the Dark Demon Defense Stronghold had violated his taboo, he deserved to die. Five days went by in a flash. Gu Changfeng had already arrived at the foot of Flame Mountain and was only a few kilometers away from the Skyfire Sect. At this moment, he was climbing the mountain step by step. Before long, he would arrive at the Skyfire Sect. Moreover, since he had already issued his challenge, a great battle was imminent. At this moment, the enemy was already so close. It could be said that he was already right before their eyes. However, the Skyfire Sect was still in a mess. On the Sect''s central courtyard. "Gu Changfeng is already at our gates. Why isn''t Senior Brother Lu out yet? Is he hiding because he''s afraid of Gu Changfeng?" "What are you saying? Why would Senior Brother Lu hide? How could he possibly avoid someone like that?" "Heh heh, then tell me why he still hasn''t appeared. You should know that the demon scoundrel Gu Changfeng is about to arrive." "If we close our doors and refuse to fight, wouldn''t our Skyfire Sect lose all face, and we would be unable to raise our heads in front of the world?" Many disciples were worried. Some were anxious, while others were still confident and believed that Lu Qingtian would definitely win. The disciples were still being affected by the gossip that Gu Changfeng had spread. On the day of the decisive battle, the emotions of more than a thousand disciples in the sect were completely ignited. At this moment, in the sect''s discussion hall. All the elders of the sect were present. Sect Master Chi Tianfeng sat in the middle. His entire body was surrounded by a brilliant divine light. It looked explosive and domineering and seemed to show that his cultivation had improved again. "Elder Lu, why don''t you tell us? Why hasn''t Lu Qingtian appeared yet? Do you know that the disciples within the sect are already having heated discussions about this matter and are starting to have doubts about him? "If Lu Qingtian refuses to fight, not only will the dignity of the sect be damaged, but he will also lose his authority and ultimately his position as the Chief Disciple." Chi Tianfeng''s tone was imposing. Even though it wasn''t too harsh, one could still clearly sense his anger. If Lu Qingtian really dared to avoid the battle, then he would have to remove his status as Chief Disciple. "Sect Master, please be at ease." Elder Lu was unperturbed and seemed to be extremely confident. The Lu family was powerful in the sect and did not give in easily to the authority of the Sect Master. Therefore, he did not take Chi Tianfeng''s question to heart. Only with confidence would one be able to act fearlessly. "Humph, you said the same thing last time. No matter what, Lu Qingtian must accept the challenge later when Gu Changfeng arrives. "Don''t worry. Even if Lu Qingtian is no match for him, his life will not be in danger as long as he''s inside the sect," Chi Tianfeng said. This was the Skyfire Sect''s territory, and the Golden Bridge-realm elders of the sect were bound to appear on the battleground. By then, even if Lu Qingtian was no match for the other party, Gu Changfeng would not be able to do anything to him. They were rather confident about his safety. Since that was the case, fear of battle was naturally not allowed. Otherwise, if word got out that Lu Qingtian rejected the battle out of fear, then wouldn''t the Skyfire Sect, one of the Ten Major Sects, be ridiculed by everyone in the world? In the future, they wouldn''t be able to raise their heads in front of other cultivators. "Please rest assured, Sect Master." Elder Lu remained unmoved and repeated himself. "Hmph, I hope so." Chi Tianfeng snorted coldly and left. Meanwhile¡­ A long howl instantly resounded over the entire Skyfire Sect. "Today, I, Gu Changfeng from the Northern Demon Cult, have arrived. "Lu Qingtian, do you dare to fight me?" Chapter 36 "Today, I, Gu Changfeng from the Northern Demon Cult, have arrived. "Lu Qingtian, do you dare to fight me?" Under the influence of Gu Changfeng''s magic power, the vigorous sound waves surged, wave after wave, reverberating above the entire Skyfire Sect. Suddenly, the white clouds in the sky seemed to have frozen, and the atmosphere became stagnant. All the disciples, deacons, and elders of the Skyfire Sect stopped what they were doing. The entire Sect fell silent then. They all looked in the direction of the voice. At this moment, the silence in the sect was terrifying. The drop of a pin could have been heard in the central courtyard. Only Gu Changfeng''s long howl was left, still echoing in the sect. "Gu Changfeng is here!" "Gu Changfeng is here so soon?!" "But where is our Eldest Senior Brother?" Yes, the enemy had come. However, their Eldest Senior Brother¡­ Where was Lu Qingtian, whom Gu Changfeng had challenged? Still nowhere to be seen! He still did not dare to come out! Could it be that their Eldest Senior Brother really did not dare to accept the challenge?! "He''s here! Gu Changfeng is here!" someone shouted. Everyone hurriedly looked in the direction of the mountain gate and saw a person dressed in a black robe adorned with gold walking towards the Skyfire Sect. The black cloak behind this person fluttered without wind. Gu Changfeng was extraordinarily handsome and full of an evil charm. Anyone who saw him would definitely have a deep impression of him and would never forget him. He walked with great strength, step by step, on the stone slabs. Every step was so precise, as if they had been measured with a ruler. Bang! Bang! As Gu Changfeng walked in, everyone suddenly heard a series of drum-like sounds. As he got closer, the sound of the "drum" became louder. "This is?" At this moment, the numerous inner sect disciples of the Skyfire Sect on the courtyard suddenly felt a sense of frustration rising within their bodies. At first, they only felt their heart beating faster. Gradually, their breathing became hurried. As Gu Changfeng got closer, the feeling in their bodies became more and more intense. It was as if there was a huge hammer smashing down on their bodies with the sound of the drum. With every beat, the blood and qi in their bodies would vibrate, and their faces would turn paler. At this moment, how could they not know that they had fallen for the opponent''s trick? "This is Heavenly Saint Demon Sound! Everyone, cover your ears and circulate your cultivation to resist!" A disciple with extraordinary experience immediately recognized the drum-like sound. It was a famous profound-grade cultivation technique in the Northern Demon Cult. This cultivation technique could affect the circulation of blood and qi in the body through sound and could even cause a person''s qi and blood to explode, causing death. Gu Changfeng had attacked all the Skyfire Sect inner sect disciples on the courtyard by himself! Instantly, the expressions of all the inner sect disciples on the courtyard turned ugly. Right at this moment, an explosive shout resounded. "Gu Changfeng, you''re at the Skyfire Sect''s mountain gate, not your Northern Demon Cult! Don''t be impudent!" Following that, a dark green flame shot out and turned into a fire dragon in midair. The green fire dragon looked vivid and lifelike. It was covered in scales and armor with distinct edges. The entire fire dragon bared its fangs and brandished its claws. It was so vivid and yet unreal. The fire dragon hovered around Gu Changfeng. The annoying drumbeat from earlier vanished without a trace as the Heavenly Saint Demon Sound was instantly broken. "Heh heh, so it''s the Skyfire Sect''s Execution Elder. I was just joking around. Senior should not take my actions so seriously." The Execution Elder was a sixth-layer Golden Bridge-realm absolute expert and ranked fifth in the entire Skyfire Sect. He was only below the Grand Elder, the Sect Master, and the two guardian elders. This person had a fiery nature and was abnormally tough. His law enforcement methods were even more ruthless. Within the Skyfire Sect, he was a ruthless character that was able to cause a change in one''s expression with just the mention of his name. After all, no one would want to fall into his hands. However, even a domineering person like him had not attacked Gu Changfeng directly. Instead, he only warned him. While the disciples were shocked, they also saw that Gu Changfeng was very confident about the outcome of his actions. "Hmph, that''s for the best. If you dare to try anything funny again, don''t blame me for bullying you with my strength. I''ll be sure to capture you then." The Execution Elder snorted and stood aside. He stared at Gu Changfeng as if waiting for him to make a mistake. "Haha, Elder is right." Gu Changfeng smiled and didn''t seem to care at all. He passed the Execution Elder and arrived at the Skyfire Sect''s central courtyard. Today''s battle had long been agreed upon, and that as long as it was a fair battle, both sects would not send out experts to obstruct it. Therefore, even if the Skyfire Sect''s Execution Elder was present, Gu Changfeng was not affected at all. The elder was merely at the sixth layer of the Golden Bridge realm, and it seemed like he was already old and weak. Cultivating to this stage should already be his limit. If Gu Changfeng had reached the other party''s age, he would have long advanced to the Primordial Core. Gu Changfeng looked around and didn''t find Lu Qingtian. "I wonder where Lu Qingtian is. Does he not dare to accept my challenge and fight me? "If he doesn''t, I''ll leave immediately. I won''t stay here for even a moment longer. "A sect that''s so cowardly will probably become the joke of the entire cultivation world." Gu Changfeng spoke with contempt, despite his chivalrous appearance. Given his personality, he probably would not have just left. He had spoken those words intentionally. He wanted to stir the emotions of all the Skyfire Sect disciples present, hoping to borrow the power of their seven emotions. By the time Lu Qingtian appeared and accepted the challenge, he would defeat him with his power and establish his fame! Lu Qingtian was still absent. He had yet to appear. For a time, the entire courtyard became completely silent. "Heh heh, could it be that your Eldest Senior Brother is afraid of battle? "He doesn''t even dare to show his face. What''s the point of cultivating when you''re so timid? He might as well pack his things and go home. "Could it be that your Skyfire Sect is full of cowards!?" Gu Changfeng sneered again. "You! "I''ll fight you!" At this time, within the crowd, a fifth-layer Divine Sea disciple couldn''t bear it any longer and immediately stood out. His face was filled with anger, and the red flames on his body started burning. "State your name. I, Gu Changfeng, will not kill nameless people!" Gu Changfeng''s expression was cold. Chapter 37 When Gu Changfeng walked into the Skyfire Sect, Chen Huan, who had been waiting for an opportunity, began her plan. She was supposed to have led the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall to guard against Gu Changfeng at the mountain gate. Instead, with a black magic robe on and her long black hair tied up, she arrived at the sect''s South District with a cold expression. According to the information she received, Jiang Chen should now be replacing the spirit stones here. She walked over slowly, her whole body emitting a murderous aura. Most of the sect disciples had already gone to the courtyard to watch the battle. There were not many disciples left elsewhere in the sect. Along the way, Chen Huan had only seen a few disciples. Soon, she arrived at the edge of the Ancient Cold Pond. There, she saw a tall man with a straight posture busy with the Fire Gathering Spiritual Array. "I didn''t expect the Sun Grass to have such a miraculous effect." Chen Huan was astonished. This was the first time she had seen Jiang Chen in over thirty years. However, she did not expect this guy to look as if he had not aged at all. He still looked the same as before. If the other party was a cultivator, she wouldn''t be this shocked. After all, as long as one reached Dao Initiation, they could live to 150 years old, barring any illness or calamity. If he were a Dao Initiation cultivator, he would still be in his prime. If he reached the Divine Sea realm, his lifespan would double again. However, Jiang Chen wasn''t known to be a cultivator. And the only reason it made sense for him to look so young right now was because he had eaten the Sun Grass. Sun Grass was simply too rare, so much so that the Skyfire Sect did not know much about its effects. She only knew that this item could give people an ordinary fire-resistant constitution. However, in the recorded history, the effects of the Sun Grass did not seem to be so heaven-defying, to the point that it could maintain one''s youthful appearance. When Chen Huan had first heard about Jiang Chen, she had only treated him as a laborer with a bit more luck and didn''t have any other thoughts about him. However, it was only when Deacon Huang of the Labor Department reported Jiang Chen''s information to her recently that Chen Huan started to take him seriously. After all, 30 years had passed. The corrosion of 30 years of fire poison, even if one had consumed Sun Grass, was definitely not easy to withstand for an ordinary laborer. But now, not only was Jiang Chen completely fine, he had not aged at all. "This is good. He is indeed the right candidate." A smile appeared on Chen Huan''s frosty face. She waited here. Jiang Chen''s movements were very practiced. In just a few moments, he had completed the task of maintaining the spiritual array. The more Chen Huan watched, the more impressed she became. She could not help but feel a strong sense of possessiveness and even wanted to rush forward. Quickly, Chen Huan activated her Heart Revolution Cleansing Art, and she finally managed to suppress her desire. "To think that it has only been a few days, and it has already reached such a level. I really can''t afford to delay anymore!" Chen Huan knew that she was still affected by the fire poison in her body. Otherwise, she would have been able to easily suppress her thoughts. It seemed like she had to capture this guy no matter what. Soon, Jiang Chen finished his work. He left the spiritual array and walked along a small path towards the north. Chen Huan was standing not far away. "Indeed, he''s coming this way¡­" Jiang Chen had naturally noticed the other party long ago. After all, his cultivation level was slightly higher than Chen Huan''s, and the other party didn''t deliberately hide her tracks either. Naturally, Jiang Chen already knew what she was planning. It was nothing more than the same idea from 30 years ago, treating him as a "human furnace" to expel the fire poison. If he had agreed 30 years ago, he would not have been able to live until now. In the Skyfire Sect, countless disciples would experience berserking cultivation deviation every year. As for the fire poison corrosion, they would either go mad or die from it. He was just a lowly laborer. If he had agreed to become the other party''s human furnace back then, he would probably not have lived for more than a few years. But now, Jiang Chen could feel the intensity of the fire poison in the other party''s body. It was almost tangible. In fact, it was even more serious than what he had seen a few days ago. If this woman did not find a way to suppress or expel the fire poison within her body within a month, the fire poison would definitely erupt. However, as long as she was unable to eliminate it completely in a single go, the fire poison would quickly regenerate. The fire poison was like a maggot attached to the bone. In the Skyfire Sect, as long as a cultivator was not careful and caught it, life would turn into a nightmare. The deeper the poison, the harder it was to recover. For example, Chen Huan, despite her status and cultivation, had been tormented by the fire poison for decades. At this point, she probably had no other choice but to try her best to get rid of it. As usual, Jiang Chen didn''t act like anything other than an ordinary laborer. He slowly walked up to Chen Huan. At this point, he suddenly felt a strange force attacking him. "Bewitching Spell!" It was an interesting spell that could easily confuse and control people with a much lower cultivation level. However, it was not very useful for people of the same, or even similar, cultivation level. This spell was widely circulated in the cultivation world. Moreover, many third-rate heretics or itinerant cultivators would use this art to run amok in the world. They would use it to serve themselves, bully others, or kidnap women. Eventually, the Imperial Court joined forces with the Ten Major Sects to completely destroy this spell and prohibit it from spreading. Because of this, the mortal world gradually calmed down. Jiang Chen only found out about the origin of this spell from reading a book in the Firesmith Hall. Who would have thought that Chen Huan would be able to learn this spell? However, it was not impossible. This magic spell was only forbidden from circulating in the ordinary world. It was also forbidden to be practiced among itinerant cultivators. The Ten Major Sects were the ones who set the rules. Naturally, they would not restrict themselves. With Jiang Chen''s current cultivation level, this spell naturally could not control him. In fact, as long as he wanted to, any counterattack he used would be able to mess with Chen Huan''s mind. But in order to deal with this woman, he naturally would not do so. Immediately, Jiang Chen calmed his mind and forcefully suppressed his instinctive counterattack. All of his divine intent converged into the Authentic Solar Fire within his spirit sea, and his entire body appeared to be under the control of the Bewitching Spell. "Alright, come with me now." Chen Huan looked at Jiang Chen in satisfaction before leading him out of the mountain gate. Chapter 38 In a pavilion far away from the central courtyard. Sect Master Chi Tianfeng stood on the balcony and watched the scene from afar. "Elder Fang, isn''t that your disciple? His name is Wang Chengzhi, right? It''s really commendable that he dares to step forward at this time!" Chi Tianfeng was naturally referring to the inner sect disciple who had just stepped forward to challenge Gu Changfeng. This guy could also be considered to be somewhat of a genius within the Skyfire Sect and had awakened the seventh-ranked human-grade Stone Fire. His cultivation was already at the peak of the fifth layer of the Divine Sea, and he could advance to the sixth level at any time. Even though it was only a human-grade spirit fire, this person cultivated diligently, with his cultivation improving rapidly. In terms of cultivation, he was only slightly weaker than those disciples who had awakened an earth-grade spirit fire. "You''re too kind, Sect Master. It''s his duty to serve the sect," Elder Fang said with a headache. Even he himself did not expect that his disciple would dare to stand out and confront Gu Changfeng. You fool! If anything happened to you, who would even remember your contribution? However, he could only keep these thoughts to himself. He was experienced and shrewd, so he naturally wouldn''t reveal anything on his face. "Courageous and able. Such disciples are the true supporting pillars of the sect. No matter the outcome of this battle, I''ll make sure to increase his treatment by two levels and reward him with a spirit weapon with twenty layers of restrictions," Chi Tianfeng said matter-of-factly. "Also, Elder Fang, you will also be rewarded for raising such a stellar disciple." Being the sect master for so many years, he had long been dissatisfied with the power struggles within the sect and the shady methods used. If this continued on, the entire sect would probably decline even more. But it was useless because his cultivation was only barely able to suppress the situation and not enough for him to turn the situation around. He naturally held these people who cared about the sect in high regard. "This old man thanks Sect Master on behalf of his disciple." At this moment, Elder Fang was smiling. "Well, let''s see how capable Gu Changfeng is." Chi Tianfeng looked down, and there was an uncertain light in his eyes. After he finished speaking, the pavilion gradually fell silent. "Demonic scoundrel, stop acting so presumptuously. I am Wang Chengzhi, a core disciple of the Skyfire Sect, and my cultivation is at the fifth layer of the Divine Sea realm. I''m here to fight you!" Divine flames revolved around Wang Chengzhi''s body. Vigorous magic power surged, and his voice instantly traveled far away. He took out his spirit weapon, a black jade long saber, and pointed it at Gu Changfeng. A flame surrounded the magic weapon, moving as if it was a spirit snake strangling its prey. "You look pretty decent. It seems that the Skyfire Sect is not full of cowards after all. "You have more backbone than Lu Qingtian. If you can withstand one of my moves, I''ll spare your life!" Gu Changfeng still had an evil smile on his face. It was obvious that he didn''t take Wang Chengzhi''s challenge seriously at all. His opponent wouldn''t even be able to withstand a single blow from him, so why should he take him seriously? If this man didn''t have the guts to challenge him, Gu Chanfeng wouldn''t even bother to look at him. "Make your move. If I make my move first, you won''t have a chance!" Gu Changfeng stood with his hands behind his back, looking confident and arrogant. "You''re overconfident and underestimate me!" Wang Chengzhi shouted out. The magic power in his body surged, and he flew up in an instant. "Sky Snake Breath Shooting Technique!" While he was still in the air, he swung the long saber in his hand towards Gu Changfeng. A long blazing fire snake shot out from the long saber and went straight towards the demonic cultivator. This Sky Snake Breath Shooting Technique had another form of attack, which was its hidden killer move. If the opponent broke the fire snake into pieces, the remaining flames would turn into smaller fire snakes. When the attack landed on the enemy''s body, there would be a chain of explosions. If one was not careful, one would easily suffer a great injury. Who knew how many of his enemies had suffered under this attack? "Interesting. Unfortunately, if this is all you have, then this is the end." Gu Changfeng smiled. He had already seen through Wang Chengzhi''s move. His black magical clothes fluttered about in the wind brought about by the fire snake. As the fire snake got close, Gu Changfeng shouted, "Ninth Hell Cold Gale!" Immediately, an even more ferocious gale blew from his mouth. The whirlwind shining with black light expanded in an instant, covering the fire snake like a sack. In the blink of an eye, the fire snake wrapped in the icy cold wind had shrunk by half. "What?! How is that possible?!" Wang Chengzhi''s expression changed drastically when he sensed that the fire snake had lost its connection to him. He had thought about how powerful his opponent was, but he had not expected his opponent to be this powerful. He had easily broken through the attack that he had been preparing for a long time. However, before Wang Chengzhi could react, Gu Changfeng quickly shouted again. Another whirlwind appeared out of nowhere under Wang Chengzhi''s feet. Before Wang Chengzi could do anything, it wrapped him up tightly. Another Ninth Hell Cold Gale! The sinister and vicious cold wind carried the power from the Ninth Hell and continuously drilled into Wang Chengzhi''s body. It instantly destroyed Wang Chengzhi''s resistance and sealed his spirit sea. Wang Chengzhi''s face turned green. He had already been completely eroded by the pervasive frost power. He knew that if things went on like this, it wouldn''t be long before he died. "Be lenient wherever possible, Gu Changfeng! This is the Skyfire Sect. You can''t just act so presumptuously." The Execution Elder in charge of maintaining order snorted and casually used a Large Essence Qi Palm to pull Wang Chengzhi to his side. An emerald-green flame ignited in his hand. Then, he struck Wang Chengzhi''s body with his palm. Vigorous magic power carrying the potency of the emerald-green flame surged into Wang Chengzhi''s body. In just a moment, the effects of the Ninth Hell Cold Gale in his body were completely cleared. Wang Chengzhi gradually recollected himself. When he saw his surroundings, he immediately figured out what had happened. "Senior Uncle, my skills were inferior. I''ve embarrassed my sect." At this moment, his entire body was sore and limp. Furthermore, his spirit sea had been corroded, and his spirit fire was flickering. Evidently, he had been severely injured. If the Execution Elder was a moment slower, his spirit sea would have definitely shattered, and his spirit fire would have been extinguished. If that had happened, even if he escaped death, he would still lose all his cultivation. Danger! It was simply too dangerous! Wang Chengzhi could not help but feel a lingering fear in his heart. He had almost died just now! Gu Changfeng did not care about the fact that the Execution Elder had saved Wang Chengzhi. In any case, his goal coming here was not to kill people. However, the bigger the commotion he could cause, the better. "What? Even now, Lu Qingtian still doesn''t dare to come out?" Chapter 39 At the foot of the Skyfire Sect''s mountain, there was a tiny town that had been gradually flourishing by providing daily necessities for the Sect. In the beginning, this town did not exist. However, cultivators also had family, and not every one of them had cultivation talent. And the Skyfire Sect was not suitable for ordinary people to live. The talentless descendants of the cultivators naturally settled at the foot of Flame Mountain. Gradually, they had formed a small town. It could be said that most of the people in this town were the descendants of the Skyfire Sect cultivators. Chen Huan was no exception. Her ancestor was a Skyfire Sect disciple. However, later on, the status of the family declined as they didn''t have a cultivator for several generations. It was only when her father''s generation had some cultivation talent and entered the Skyfire Sect did things finally change. And when it got to Chen Huan''s turn, she revealed outstanding cultivation talent and rose to the top. She was on the verge of bringing the Chen Clan back to the upper echelons of the Skyfire Sect when, unfortunately, an accident occurred, causing her to be stuck at the eighth layer of the Divine Sea realm. If this continued, even if there weren''t any other accidents, she would not be able to last long. At this moment, other than her, there were no other cultivators in the Chen Clan. If she died, the Chen family would fall once again. At that time, who knew how many hidden enemies would jump out to eat the Chen Clan''s flesh and drink their blood? However, this had nothing to do with her! After cultivating for almost a hundred years, there was no kinship in the world that could not be severed. It was only because her clan was still of some use to her. Otherwise, she would have long severed ties with them. It was rumored that when some demonic cultivators joined a cult, they had to sever ties with the secular world. How did they sever ties? They had to personally kill off every single one of the people they were related to. Only in this way could they truly sever all ties and relationships; only then could they truly become ruthless, and only then could they possess the required mental state for demonic dao cultivation. Although the methods of an orthodox sect were not as bloody as those of the demonic dao, cultivators were still bound to emotionally detach from their relatives in the secular world. This was because once cultivators succeeded in their cultivation, their lifespans would increase by several hundred years. At this moment, Chen Huan had brought Jiang Chen into the town at the foot of the mountain. They had walked all the way into the Chen Residence. Along the way, with the help of her magic spell, no one had noticed them. Even the people in the Chen Residence did not know that Chen Huan had returned. She led Jiang Chen into the secret cultivation room within the Chen Residence. She had set up an array formation here that could completely conceal the fluctuations of her magic power. Moreover, this small town had a large population and was bustling with noise. To a certain extent, it would also help with her concealment. Even if someone were to discover them, they would not dare to make a move here. Otherwise, if something did happen, it would not be easy to clean up the mess. This was also an important reason why Chen Huan chose this location. At this moment, in the secret room below. "Sit down," Chen Huan said softly. With a wave of her hand, she removed the bewitching spell. "Ah, where am I?! What do you want?!" Jiang Chen cried out in alarm, looking like a frightened kitten. "What do I want? What do you think? "Why? Don''t you remember me? Back then, you rejected me. Now, it''s not up to you anymore. "It''s obvious. I want to screw you!" As a cultivator, Chen Huan naturally maintained her beauty well. Based only on appearance, she looked like a charming young woman in her thirties. She looked delicate and adorable. But now, in this secret underground chamber, since she thought she was about to completely resolve the fire poison in her body, her tense nerves had unknowingly relaxed the fire-poison suppression. The fire poison was already affecting Chen Huan''s mind. If it were any other time, she would have easily noticed this problem and suppressed it. But now, because she was confident she had a solution, she allowed the fire poison to influence her. Therefore, Chen Huan knew that she was being affected by the fire poison but did not bother to suppress it. "Ahh¡ª!" Jiang Chen was speechless. He had never expected Chen Huan to be able to utter such vulgar words. He had always heard that this woman was bold and unrestrained, but he hadn''t expected it to be at such an extent. "Chen Huan, aren''t you afraid that the sect will come after you for kidnapping me here?" Jiang Chen looked at Chen Huan, who looked like she was about to go crazy, and his playful mood faded. He was not in the mood to joke with someone who was almost half crazy. "That''s enough. Be good and don''t resist. Just focus on making love with me. This big sister promises to let you enjoy the wonders of the world." Chen Huan''s demeanor became seductive once again. Coupled with the Fire Body Tempering Art she had cultivated, the astonishing charm she exuded would have almost been irresistible. Even with Jiang Chen''s profound cultivation, he could not help but feel a ripple in his state of mind. "Heh heh, is that so? Unfortunately, I don''t want anything to do with an old woman like you," Jiang Chen said with a faint smile. "What? That''s not up to you!" Chen Huan''s face turned cold. Any female who was called an old woman would be furious. "Heh heh, I was going to let you enjoy yourself before you die, but since you don''t know how to appreciate my kindness, don''t blame me for what I''m about to do to you." Chen Huan was already going a little crazy. She actually didn''t notice that Jiang Chen had remained pretty calm, other than being a little panicked at the start. In such a short period of time, the other party didn''t seem to have any feelings of panic or fear. He was calm and indifferent, as if he didn''t take all of this to heart at all. "Fire Body Tempering," Chen Huan suddenly said, and a ball of pink flames appeared on her body. The fire drifted toward Jiang Chen like smoke, enveloping him instantly. "Haha, Jiang Chen, don''t worry and just die peacefully." Chen Huan was in a frenzy. The fire poison in her body was being transmitted to Jiang Chen through these pink flames. The fire poison gushed out from her body. A mixture of joy, sorrow, tears, and various other expressions flashed across Chen Huan''s face. By now, she had already begun the process of expelling the fire poison. Originally, the fire poison could only be transmitted through physical contact. However, it was clear that Chen Huan had already cultivated the Fire Body Tempering Art to an extremely profound level, allowing her to transmit it through the air. In the past 30 years, she had repeated a process similar to this many times. However, the people she did it with could not withstand much fire poison, so she could only expel a small portion each time. It didn''t solve the problem at all. Soon after, the fire poison would be restored, and it would rise even higher. Chapter 40 Scarlet flames filled the air. Threads of a sweet and decadent aura continuously dispersed in this secret room. "Haha, it''s working! After today, I, Chen Huan, will be able to get out of this predicament and advance to the upper echelons of the sect! "Advancing to the Golden Bridge or Primordial Core realm in the future will be nothing difficult! "Even the position of Sect Master is within my reach." Chen Huan felt the fire poison in her body being expelled. The shackles on her body and mind, as well as the feeling of being constantly threatened by the fire poison, were also rapidly weakening. In fact, her cultivation base was showing signs of advancing. She had a feeling that once she completely eliminated the fire poison in her body, her cultivation would rise to the ninth layer of the Divine Sea. When Chen Huan thought of this, her face couldn''t help but turn red. She let out a seductive sound that made one''s imagination run wild. "Heh heh! What a show, but it''s a shame. "I see that your ambitions are great, but your fate is miserable. All your hard work and suffering is for naught in the end." Jiang Chen spoke indifferently, as if he was an adult who had heard a child rambling about their unrealistic dreams. "Haha, what do you know? You''re just a lowly laborer. How dare you spout nonsense here?" Chen Huan shouted angrily. Who was she? The number one law enforcement deputy of the Skyfire Sect''s Law Enforcement Hall! If not for the fire poison in her body, she might have already become a sect elder. With her age and talent, it was not impossible for her to reach a much higher level in the future. Jiang Chen was just a lowly laborer. How dared he mock her? He was simply courting death. "No! There''s something wrong with you!" Chen Huan''s pupils constricted violently. She finally noticed Jiang Chen''s abnormality. Silence. It was too quiet. He did not look like he was corroded by the fire poison at all. Once the fire poison entered one''s body, it would corrode one''s organs and bring about extreme pain. Jiang Chen had eaten Sun Grass before and might have been able to resist the fire poison in the sect arrays. However, the amount of fire poison she was channeling now was over a hundred times that. It could be said that even if a piece of steel was here, it would immediately corrode. But now, not only did Jiang Chen look completely fine, but he was also full of energy when he spoke just now, and he seemed extremely lively! This was not how a person who had been infected by fire poison should behave! At the thought of this, Chen Huan couldn''t help but freeze. "Eh? Why did you stop? Don''t stop. Continue!" Jiang Chen''s voice sounded again, still full of vigor. "Who are you? Who exactly are you?" At this moment, no matter how slow Chen Huan was, she couldn''t help but find something deeply wrong with this laborer, Jiang Chen. According to her senses, the person in front of her was only at the second layer of Qi Inspiration. His muscles and bones were ordinary, and he did not seem to have any profound cultivation. As for the rest, she could not tell. However, it could also be that this person''s cultivation was not lower than hers. He might be using some cultivation technique or treasure to hide his aura. No matter what, this person was definitely not the same laborer from the Firesmith Hall. Could it be that someone had switched places with him long ago? Was it her enemy? Her expression darkened, and she grabbed two Divine Fire Thunder Bombs from her storage bag. Jiang Chen said in a straightforward manner, "Me? Who else could I be? I''m just a lowly laborer of the Skyfire Sect''s Firesmith Hall." "Since you''re not willing to tell me, then I won''t force you to¡ª" As she spoke, Chen Huan activated her magic power. The two Divine Fire Thunder Bombs in her palm flickered with a red light before being tossed toward Jiang Chen. At the same time, a flame ignited on her body, and she immediately retreated backwards. "Trying to leave? I haven''t had enough yet, how can I let you escape?!" The corners of Jiang Chen''s mouth curled up into a smile. Vigorous magic power shot out in an instant. The moment it came into contact with the two Divine Fire Thunder Bombs, it immediately turned into golden flames. Chen Huan watched in disbelief as the two Divine Fire Thunder Bombs were vaporized before they could even make a sound. "What kind of flame is this?! "A senior from the sect? But who?" Chen Huan was at a loss for words. She was terrified. These Divine Fire Thunder Bombs were two single-use spirit tools that she had refined. In terms of power, they were equivalent to her full-power strike. Furthermore, it was simple to activate, and no magic power fluctuation would be produced when using it. It was very stealthy, and ordinary people would easily get blown up if they didn''t know about it. However, she could never have imagined that one day, someone would be able to counter the Divine Fire Thunder Bombs in such a way. And why did this person''s flame feel so unfamiliar? In Chen Huan''s memories, it seemed that no one in the entire sect used this kind of flame. Those flames were pure, vast, blazing, and masculine. They gave her the feeling that they were as hot as the sun in the sky. When they shone on her body, they actually gave her a scorching feeling and made her feel very uncomfortable. "What kind of flame is this¡ª?! "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Chen Huan''s face had suddenly turned deathly pale. She seemed to recall something from more than thirty years ago. That day, a golden sun had suddenly appeared above the Skyfire Sect. The Three-Legged Golden Crow even appeared faintly in the center of that great sun, with the True Dragon and the Fire Phoenix swirling around it. That day, there was a rumor in the sect that someone had awakened the Authentic Solar Fire, ranked first among the Nine Great Heavenly Flames! However, the entire sect had been turned upside down, but no one had been able to find out who had awakened this flame. In the end, it was determined to be an abnormal phenomenon and left unsettled. But now! In front of Chen Huan, these golden flames gave her the feeling of the Authentic Solar Fire. Authentic Solar Fire! Jiang Chen''s flames were Authentic Solar Fire! This was even more shocking to Chen Huan than if Jiang Chen had been a Golden Bridge elder in disguise. "Jiang Chen, this is all a misunderstanding. "Listen to me. Since you have awakened the Authentic Solar Fire, let''s join forces. I guarantee that you will become the sect master of the Skyfire Sect. "By then, you would be able to feel at ease at every corner of this world." Chen Huan''s breathing became hurried. The Authentic Solar Fire, the number one of the Nine Great Heavenly Flames! Those who had awakened this type of flame would definitely be able to reach the Primordial Core realm, and perhaps even the Profound Connection realm. If one became a Profound Connection-realm cultivator, it would mean that he was already standing at the peak of the entire cultivation world. As long as she could rely on this guy, she would definitely be able to achieve meteoric success in the future. At the thought of this, Chen Huan''s face flushed red. She couldn''t help but wink at Jiang Chen. "To show my sincerity," she said, "from now on, even I may be at your disposal¡­"